


Deception

by Ladyelle



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Arson, Assassination Plot(s), Assassins vs. Templars, Betrayal, Blow Jobs, Boat Sex, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Car Sex, Comfort Sex, Conflict, Connor is bestest boy, Deception, Difficult Decisions, Double Life, Dubious Ethics, Emotional Hurt, Enemies to Friends, Espionage, F/M, Fake Character Death, Feels, Fight me idc lol, Fist Fights, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gist is in troooooouble lol, Grief/Mourning, Hacking, Heist, Humor, Implied/Referenced Torture, Insecurity, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Lies, Love Confessions, Lust at First Sight, Massage, Masturbation, Minor Violence, Multi, Murder, Not Canon Compliant, Oral Sex, Partial Nudity, Poor Connor, Porn With Plot, Reader-Insert, Second Chances, Secrets, Seduction, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Sex Toys, Sexy Times, Slow Burn, Stabbing, Theft, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wakes & Funerals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-04-26 23:17:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 123,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14412627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyelle/pseuds/Ladyelle
Summary: The conflict between the Assassins and the Templars is getting out of hand. Lies, deceit and subterfuge, now you must pick a side...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Back again after much barraging for more Haytham/Shay fics! Maybe with a few of the other Assassins thrown in there too *wink wink* More tags will be added as the story progresses

After rubbing your cheek on your shoulder to try and shift the itchy black fabric that was pressing against your face, you tried to squint through the weave when you heard someone enter the room, only just making out a silhouette of a tallish body looming just in front of where you were sat on the chair. You tensed up and struggled against the rope bonds that were around your wrists when you knew what was coming next, refusing to make any sound of pain when a heavy fist connected with your gut.

"Ready to talk? Assassin?" The man hissed in a gravelly voice, obviously using something to distort it so you wouldn't be able to recognise him.

Your stomach was growling, and your mouth was parched, so you knew that you had been held captive here for some time now, but still you kept quiet, a smirk adorning your lips as you waited for a certain someone to arrive. _Then._ You would have your retribution. As if right on cue, the door was kicked open with a resounding bang; echoing through what you assumed was a sparsely furnished room, followed by heavy footsteps and a bellowing roar aimed at the man in front of you.

"Just what do you think you are doing?! You have three seconds to explain yourself Charles, or I will cut you down where you stand!"

You jumped slightly in your seat when you heard a shuffle and a colossal thud against the wall to your right, unintentionally snorting as you imagined what was going on in front of you.

"I w-was... interrogating the assassin.... sir... I..... thought...." the smaller of the two men stammered out in his natural voice, clearly petrified of what you knew to be his superior.

"You do not think! I do the thinking here! Your orders were to abduct and contain, nothing more! Disobey me again, I assure it will be the last thing you ever do!"

Tilting your head when you heard the man yelp as he was thrown out of the door and it was slammed shut behind him, you let out a slight huff of displeasure as you realised that you wouldn't be getting your revenge today. Hearing the all too familiar sound of a hidden blade being flicked out, you flexed your arms when your bindings were cut and dropped to the floor, the black hood being tugged off your head and following shortly after.

"Took your time." You chided to the formally dressed man in front of you, rubbing the sore marks on your wrists when they started to sting a little.

"I deeply apologise (name). I trust you know this wasn't my intention, Charles will be severely punished for his actions I assure you. Are you alright?"

Brushing yourself straight and catching glimpses of your, 'captor' out of the corner of your eye, you bit the corner of your lip when you liked what you saw. He was dressed in a tailored navy pinstripe suit, crisp powder blue shirt and a crimson red tie, secured with a jewelled pin in the shape of a cross. His slightly greying hair was groomed back perfectly, and he was clean shaven, nothing surprising from what you knew about the man. _Very nice. Very nice indeed._ You thought.

"I'm fine Haytham, Charles punches like a girl. Ten more minutes and you would have been without a second in command though."

Grinning when he chuckled softly and gestured towards the door, you grabbed your jacket off the table behind you and slung it over your shoulder casually, following him out of the brilliant white interrogation room. Your heels clacked on the marble flooring of the barren lobby as you made your way to the glass elevator, punching the button a little too forcefully to call the lift. Neither of you said a word as you travelled to the top floor of the building; which was much more elegantly decorated in red, creams and golds, in complete contrast with the rest of the complex. 

Silently closing the door when you entered the office at the end of the hall, you chucked your jacket and purse onto the large black leather sofa next to you and slumped down into the chair in front of the lavish oak desk, kicking off your shoes as you propped your legs up on the armrest.

"So, you have the locations I asked for?"

"Straight down to brass tacks eh? No, how was Russia (Name)? Did you freeze your ass off?"

Haytham chuckled as he sat down at his desk, propping his elbows on the edge and pressing his fingers together while trying to keep his eyes from lingering over your legs too long.

"Apologies, my ability for idle banter has been suppressed of late. How was Russia? I can see quite clearly that you did not 'freeze your ass off' as you put it."

Smirking as you watched him shift his gaze to stare at a knot in his desk when you purposefully turned in your seat, so he had a better view of your rear, you realised how much you missed teasing the man. Your relationship was a platonic one, just, and you oh so enjoyed making his feathers ruffle from time to time.

"Not bad, boring mostly. Plenty of excellent vodka to drown out Shaun’s prattling though. And yes, I have all three locations of the newest Assassin bureau's you asked for."

Jumping up out of the chair, you leaned over the desk and grabbed the pad and paper that was next to his computer and resumed your position in your seat, jotting down the coordinates that you had memorised. It had been your one rule when you made the decision to betray the Assassins, zero trail of it leading back to you. No emails, calls or messages, nothing digital that would get you found out. With Shaun and his newest Elite tech team monitoring all of the Brotherhoods activity, it made it like that even going to the bathroom wasn't a private affair anymore. Sliding the pad onto the desk, Haytham snapped it up quickly and ripped off the top three pages; ensuring that there was no trace of words from the pen's pressure underneath, and hastily typed the numbers into his computer. Once he had finished, he pulled open his drawer and took out a rather ornate silver stick lighter, using it to set the corner of the pages on fire. You simply nodded and let out the breath you had been holding as you watched the flames consume the proof of your treachery, all evidence now in cinders at the bottom of Haytham’s wastepaper basket.

"Payment in the usual form I'm assuming?"

"Why Mr Kenway, you know me so well." You giggled as he passed you a small, black velvet bag.

Tipping its contents into your palm, you could help but admire how the diamonds sparkled in the light. So clean, so pure, much unlike yourself of late. In keeping with your principal of doing absolutely anything to assure you wouldn't be caught in your exploits, Haytham had made the suggestion of reimbursing you for your troubles in jewels and trinkets; something that could be easily hidden and fenced, so you happily agreed. Slipping the gems back into the bag and sliding it into your bra, you breathed out an exasperated sigh when you saw that he wanted to ask you something, but was hesitating for some reason.

"Come on, out with it. I know you want something else. It's about the ball, isn't it."

Haytham slumped back into his chair, and his face became awash with guilt, something you had rarely seen him do. He had been asking a lot of you recently, the conflict between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templars becoming more unbridled every passing day, and at this moment in time, the Templars were winning.

"Figured as much. I'm not gonna ask how you know about it, I only found out yesterday. What do you need me to do?"

Swinging your legs down as Haytham rummaged through another drawer in his desk, you mentally prepared yourself to ingrain whatever information he was about to give you to memory, hoping that it wasn't much as you were still fatigued after a long flight, then being abducted from the airport minutes after you had landed. Your brow furrowed in confusion when he handed you a single sheet of paper, the only thing on it being a photograph of an old necklace. A circular jade stone, with a leather string for a chain.

"I don't understand, you want this old thing? It looks worthless, not to mention it's hideous."

"That my dear.." Haytham paused for a moment to dramatise the importance of the item to him and to get up and stand beside you, hoping to calm your temperament when he revealed his plan to you.

"Is more valuable than anything I have given to you so far, and is paramount to the Order that we have it in our possession. We have learnt that is being held at Achilles estate, and the ball would provide an opportunity to retrieve it."

"Wait, you want me to...?!"

You were cut off by Haytham shaking his head slowly and flickering his eyes to the door, making you turn your head in the direction of it but become bewildered when you saw no one there.

"I do not wish for you to steal it (name), that would put you in great danger. My desire is for you to take someone with you, to help him infiltrate the manor, so _he_ can procure it."

Feeling Haytham's hand on your shoulder to hold you in place when you went to jump out of your chair as a clicking sound came from behind you, rage began to fill every fibre of your being when a man walked silently through the door and closed it behind him, the Grand Master's promise of not letting a _single_ person know who you were thrown straight out of the window. You inadvertently sliced through your gunmetal silk blouse as you flicked out your hidden blade in anger, looking up at Haytham like you wanted to gut him like a fish.

"Please my dear, calm down."

"Calm?! CALM?! How can you expect me to be calm! You broke your promise! Fucking Templar, I knew I couldn't trust you!"

Haytham dropped to his knees in front of you and held your arms to your side until you retracted your blade, wincing at your seething expression as you continued to glare at him.

"Mr Cormac here is taking just as big of a risk unveiling himself to you (name), until this moment the only person in the world who knew he was alive, was myself. He will not reveal your secret, as I am sure you will not divulge his. Is that acceptable?"

Pacified slightly at hearing this information, you nodded numbly, your temper disappearing as quickly as it had arisen. Haytham was one of the very few people who knew how to dissolve your volatile disposition with ease; a sly grin creeping up your face as he cupped your chin and caressed your cheek with his thumb.

"Excellent. Now my dear, please let me introduce Mr Shay Cormac, one of the most trusted associates in our Order. Shay, this is (name) (last name), currently a member of the Brotherhood, and also working for us."

Sighing as you got up from the chair and examined your now ruined blouse for a moment, you extended your hand towards the man, your breath hitching when you laid eyes on him for the first time since he came in. He was dressed entirely in black, shirt rolled up to his elbows and accentuated with a deep red tie pulled down loosely around his neck, and oh my he was devilishly handsome. His shoulder length brown hair was tied back, he was obviously a not a fan of razor blades as he had light stubble over his chiselled jaw, and he had a long scar over his right brow and cheek, making him even more dashing in your opinion. But what captivated you most were his eyes. Dark, with a hint of sadness behind them, but also a playful glimmer as he sized you up in the same way you were doing to him. Yet there was something about him that you couldn't quite place, and for some strange reason you had the initial feeling that you could trust him completely. An extreme rarity in your line of work.

One thing about working for the Assassins and the Templars was that they were never short of eye candy, making you wonder if it was a requisite when they joined. Know how to use a variety of deadly weapons? Check. Silently and stealthily kill a known assailant? Check. Can you distract any woman and will her panties into nothingness just by looking at her? Double check. You had been without _company_ for some time now, and your libido was through the roof, the Adonis-like men in your vicinity not helping matters in the slightest. Dropping the Templars hand when Haytham cleared his throat beside you; making you realise that you had been staring, you only just managed to keep the heat rising up your face as you retook your seat, Cormac sitting in the one next to you.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way, shall we discuss your next assignment?" 

"Guess so. I assume you already know where Achilles is keeping that thing? I have no idea." You grumbled as you got up yet again and went to the drinks cabinet in the corner, grabbing the carafe of water and a glass when your mouth began to remind you of a desert.

"I do indeed my dear, he has a hidden vault behind his office wall. Plan's or photographs however have been extremely difficult to come by, to say the least."

Downing the glass of water in one quick swallow, you mulled over just how on earth you were going to get into the masters' office without being detected.

"Begging ya pardon Master Kenway, but surely (name) here would be able to find out what we're up against?"

Both men suddenly snapped their attention to you when the glass that was in your hand crashed to the floor and shattered, invisible shards flying everywhere around your bare feet. You tried to shake off the shiver that ran down your spine when you had finally heard Shay speak, his delectable Irish accent both surprising you and sending a tremor straight to your core. Crouching down to hide your humiliation and attempt to pick up the broken pieces, you looked up through your eyelashes to see Shay smirking at you, and Haytham jumping up from his desk to rescue you, so to speak.

"Do not move my dear, lest you want a toe shorn off." 

"I'm, sorry. I must be more tired than I thought. Planes eh?"

You chuckled and tried to brush off your embarrassing moment as Haytham ducked down and picked you up bridal style, carrying you away from the broken glass and sitting you on the edge of the desk.

"We should carry on with this at another time Master Kenway, I'm knackered too, damned travelling does take it outta ya. I'm staying at the Mandarin Oriental lass, we could do this tomorrow?"

Your brow furrowed a fraction when you saw that Shay didn't look exhausted in the slightest, so he must have concocted it up to make you feel better. Something that definitely wasn't necessary, and it annoyed you slightly. You didn't want, or need to be protected in any way shape or form. Leaning over to grab your shoes, you faked a yawn and gave him a thumbs up, watching him drop his business card on the desk and leave out of the corner of your eye.

"Now why do I not believe you are telling the truth? I have seen you go for three days without sleep before now, and only then did you look slightly fatigued. Is something troubling you?"

As soon as you had slipped your shoes back on you looked up and flashed Haytham your widest smile, throwing him a cheeky wink in hopes he wouldn't barrage you for the real reason of your clumsiness.

"What makes you think I haven't been up for that long? I do have a life outside of this you know." You huffed, gesturing around you to suggest that you meant working for the Templars.

"No, you don't my dear. The very reason you will not allow me to take you to my bed. Or had you forgotten your excuses?"

Cocking your head in a kittenish way when he began to stroke your legs through your leather trousers, you grabbed his tie and wove it through your fingers, pulling him down and closer to your face.

"They're not excuses Haytham. What we do is dangerous, risky, and time-consuming, making a relationship is damn near impossible to keep. We've both tried and failed with other people before, so let's not spoil what we have, hmmm?"

Leaning in and kissing his cheek when he let out a downhearted sigh, sliding off the desk and walking over to the sofa and gathering up the rest of your belongings, you suddenly recalled Cormac's business card and grabbed it off the desktop, stuffing it into your back pocket haphazardly.

"I suppose you are right. Please allow me to admire that outfit you are wearing though, it is quite... titillating, to say the least."

You chuckled and wiggled your ass at him as you walked towards the door, giving it a slap for good measure when you saw him bite his lip and slouch back down in his chair behind the desk.

"(Name), should you change your mind...."

"I know where to find you Haytham." You sighed as you opened the door and left, pulling it shut with your foot behind you.


	2. Chapter 2

Turning your alarm clock on your bedside table to check the time, you smacked it away and dropped down onto your pillow with a groan when you saw it was just after six. _Fucking jetlag_ you cursed under your breath as you sat bolt upright in your bed, completely giving up on sleep for the night. Dragging yourself up and pulling on your dressing gown, you made your way over to your kitchenette area and flicked the kettle on, knowing that coffee would make your situation worse, but you didn't care.

Grabbing your phone off the countertop and pulling out the charger cable, you saw that there were nine text messages from various members of the Brotherhood asking if you were okay after your trip, and one voicemail. Punching in your password so you could listen to it on loudspeaker, you placed your phone back on the counter while you rifled through your cupboards for your favourite mug, immediately freezing and your heart jumped into your throat as a familiar voice rang through the air.

**(Name) it's me. Please come to the manor as soon as you can, there is something we need to discuss.**

Achilles. It was coming up to a decade working for the Assassins, and not once had he ever called you personally, you were surprised that he even knew your name. Snapping your phone up and listening to the message twice more, you took several deep breaths to calm yourself down enough to analyse the tone of his voice, and deemed that he didn't know anything as you couldn't hear any kind of accusation tone or disappointment lacing his words. Shaun probably called him about the new servers you figured, and wants a face to face update. Not that you could give him much information, you were okay with computers, but it wasn't your forte.

Satisfied with your own explanation, you carried on making your coffee; sipping it slowly so the the molten liquid didn't scorch your throat, until you spied a white, rectangular piece of card next to your keys and charger cable. Gingerly plucking it up and remembering the tremor that ran through you because of the person named on the card, you bit your lip nervously and brought up your messaging app, keying in the number slowly. No one knew he was alive, right? So a quick message to a 'friend' wouldn't be suspicious? 

Typing in 'Are we still okay for later?' and hitting send before you talked yourself out of it, you nearly had a heart attack when your phone beeped back a few seconds later with a reply, not at all expecting one so soon.

**Of course, I'm in the penthouse suite. Is ten alright? Up so early, I'm guessing you couldn't sleep?**

_Tens fine. No, never been one to sleep much anyway._

Quite surprised at his texting grammar as you were used to trying to deciphering whatever code was being used recently, you slid your phone in your dressing gown when you thought the conversation had finished, picking up your coffee and heading back to your bedroom to attempt to get another hour as you didn't have to be up early for a change. Just as your head hit the pillow, your phone beeped again with a message, making you squint as you fumbled in your pocket and unlocked your phone to read whatever was there.

**Maybe you need someone to wear you out better?**

Your mouth ran dry as your eyes fixated on the typing in front of you, wondering if he actually meant how you took that message. You tensed up as the image of him in Haytham’s office flickered through your mind, stirring every primal instinct up deep within you. Could every man sense how pent up you were recently? Prime for the taking? Internally debating whether you should reply or not, you squeezed your legs together to stifle some of the desire within you as you typed, hoping to god that you hadn't misunderstood his reply.

_Hmmm, are you offering?_

Clutching your phone so firmly that your knuckles started to go white with the pressure, you didn't move your eyes once from the dim glow of the screen as you waited for a reply. What were you thinking?! This was so unlike you to chase after a man like this. You had enough going on with your life without adding someone else into the mix, let alone a co-worker, even as good looking as he was. Your last relationship tanked horribly because of your double life and the secrets you kept, and you had no desire to go through that again which is why you had brushed off Haytham’s numerous advances over the years. Becoming slightly annoyed with yourself as it appeared that you had taken it the wrong way when you didn't get an answer, you were also a little relieved. Shuffling back down under the covers, you figured you would come up with some suitable excuse in a few hours time as you finally drifted off to sleep.

\------------------------------------------------------

 _Shit Shit Shit!!_ You launched up out of bed when you looked at the clock to see it was 9:32 am, bounding over to your closet and pulling out the first thing you came to when you knew you didn't have time to shower. Grabbing your bag and stuffing your phone and keys in it, you literally sprinted down to the parking garage and jumped in your car, ignoring the stares of the several onlookers when you pulled off in a deafening wheel spin. Checking your watch and patting yourself on the back when you saw that you had just over ten minutes to spare thanks to running nearly every red light in Boston; how you didn't get caught was a miracle in itself, you passed your keys to the valet and hastily made your way into the lobby, waving your hand dismissively at the concierge who was about to ask if you were okay, and called the elevator.

Holding yourself back from ripping the speakers off the wall when the annoying music that was blaring out was doing nothing for your mood, you almost forced the doors open as soon as they pinged to let you know that you had arrived at the top floor, walking briskly down the corridor to the lone room at the end. Rapping your knuckles loudly on the door, you frowned as after a minute or two, there was no answer. A few more moments after trying again, you decided to test the handle, quite surprised that it was unlocked. Well, he was expecting you, so maybe it was best that you went straight in? Closing the door silently behind you, you couldn't help but gasp in awe at the size of the room. It was double the size of your apartment easily; just the living-dining area was big enough to hold some kind of function. Dropping your bag on the table near you, you suddenly turned to your left when you heard a shuffling, words completely lost to you as your gaze drifted over a dripping wet Shay with nothing but a small towel covering his modesty.

"Ah sorry lass, didn't hear ya come in. Running a bit late as ya can see, I fell back sleep."

Nodding softly when his words only just registered over the thumping of your heart drumming in your ears, you averted your gaze to the carpet when he moved towards you, close enough so you could smell remnants of soap on him.

"No need to be shy lass, ain't got nothing you probably haven't seen before. Why don't ya make us some coffee while I get dried off?"

 _Wanna bet?_ You thought, biting your lip so the words didn't actually come tumbling out of your mouth as your eyes drifted over the outline of something rather impressive under the white cotton around his waist.

"I'm not shy, just a crappy night. Um, where's your kitchen?" You mumbled, noticing he believed what you had said even less than you did as he chuckled and ushered you towards the other side of the room and into the kitchen by laying his hand on the small of your back.

"Everything you need should be in that top cupboard, I'll be back in a minute."

Opening the cupboard and pulling out the ground coffee and filters, you set about to making the drinks in a slight daze, thinking about his message again from this morning. So far he hadn't even acknowledged it, so you figured maybe you had made a fool out of yourself and cursed under your breath as you flicked the machine on. Panicking when you realised that you hadn't checked in with headquarters yet today; something both Achilles and Shaun had set up that all assassins must do by ten thirty or your phone will be pinged for your location, you dropped everything and ran back into the living room to your bag, keying in your activation code as fast as humanly possible before anyone could find out where you were. 

Chucking your phone back down when you saw the usual 'Code Accepted' message, you choked back a whimper and stood there gawking when you realised Shay hasn't closed the bedroom door. There he was, back towards you, in his birthday suit and patting himself down with his towel. You licked your lips as your eyes drifted over the toned muscles of his legs, the sensual curves of his ass and muscular back, stopping at what looked like a bullet wound just below his left shoulder blade. Taking large silent steps back towards the kitchen before he spotted you looking at him, you grabbed hold of the countertop to stop your hands from trembling, taking a deep breath in hopes the heat in your face would die down quickly.

God woman, get a grip! You mentally scolded yourself for becoming so flustered about a man like this. So what if you've not felt like this since... _him._ You've known this man for all of twelve hours, had literally three whole sentences of conversation with him, AND you were about to go on a mission together. Shaking yourself off vigorously when you heard him call your name from the other room, you quickly poured two mugs of coffee and carried them back in, adorning your best fake smile.

"Er, you didn't say how you like your coffee, hope black is okay?"

"Perfect love. Thanks."

Handing him one of the mugs and thinking about what was underneath his tight t-shirt and jogging bottoms, you dropped down on the sofa next to him, your wandering mind only just registering the laptop and file on the coffee table in front of you. Snatching the file up and flicking it open, you sat there wide-eyed when you saw several photographs of Davenport Manor and its grounds, plus two of yourself.

"You've...been spying on me?!"

Shay nearly spat out the mouthful of liquid he just drank when he saw you looking at the photo's, dropping his mug down and snatching up the file off your lap quickly and placing it back on the table looking slightly flustered.

"No lass.. That was for... well Master Kenway said, oh bloody hell. I knew you were workin for us, just wanted to know a bit about who was gonna be joining me, that's all."

Your usual cheeky confidence came flooding back as you sat there watching him fidget in his seat, pretending to look at something interesting that was flickering on the computer. You decided to let him off for now as you didn't want him going into this without one hundred per cent of his focus on the mission, and by the looks of things he couldn't control his emotions nearly as well as you could, even given your recent slip-ups.

"Oh it's not a problem, just wondered. So what do you need me to do then? I can't stay long, I'm expected back asap."

"Right, yes. Sorry lass. Well, we need to find how to get into the vault in Achilles office. If ya could wear this and get in there somehow, you can leave the rest to me."

Panic consumed you as he handed you a small pin in the shape of the Assassins insignia, concealing what you assumed was some kind of camera. You were scanned every time you entered the manor, and there was no way you could think of getting this through without being detected. Shay, noticing your expression grabbed your hand and squeezed your fingers gently, in attempts to give you some encouragement.

"The assassins aren't the only ones with a first-rate tech team (name), it's completely undetectable. I promise. You won't get caught."

Still slightly dubious at his assurance, you figured that he must know that if you did ever get caught, you would blurt out whatever secrets you had about the Templar order just to save your own skin, so you thought best to go along with the plan, for now.

"Fine. So what does this thing do then?"

"It is a camera, but also seeks out anything transmitting a signal. Once we have it, we can duplicate it an I can get in the vault."

Attaching the pin to your hoodie and satisfied it didn't look out of place when you pulled yourself straight, you glanced up at the clock on the wall and grumbled to yourself as you slid off the sofa and downed the rest of your drink.

"Okay. Well, I best be off then, the sooner we get this over with, the better. Mmmm, good coffee."

Leaning around the corner to drop your mug back into the kitchen, you flashed Shay a dazzling smile when he gave you a wave as you grabbed your bag off the table, and you began to wonder if the backflips your stomach was doing was because of the assignment you were about to do, or the man in the hotel room you had just left.

\---------------------------------------------------

Driving through the estate and breathing a sigh of relief when you saw the driveway renovations had been finished and you didn't have to walk a mile uphill to the manor, you pulled up in a space close outside, shielding your eyes from the sun to see what work had been done. The house had always been impressive, but since Achilles had now been working from home instead of the central offices in Portsmouth due to health reasons, Connor had insisted that various upgrades be made, and boy did he deliver.

It was more comparable to a mansion now with the extra rooms added on either side, and as there was to be a gala here in just under two weeks, you assumed that it had been extended at the back too. Bounding up the steps as normally as you could to where two security guards were standing, you handed your bag over, and you raised your arms, doing a little twirl as they began scanning you for any devices. Breathing through your nose steadily when you saw one of them eye up the pin, you cocked your head and feigned ignorance when he pointed at it.

"What's this?"

"Hmm? Oh nothing, just a gift. Cool huh?"

Years of training under pressure and keeping a calm demeanour even against the direst of circumstances had paid off, as he merely nodded and wafted his scanner over it, satisfied that it was only a piece of jewellery. Taking your bag back off the other one and walking through the door, you froze in your tracks and didn't dare to turn around when the one with the scanner called you back.

"Hey (name)! Find out where that pin came from, my Mrs would love one, it's her kind of thing."

Letting out a shuddering breath and giving a thumbs up over your head, you walked as fast as you could into the manor before he could ask you any more questions. Navigating your way through the hallway and trying to locate where Achilles new office was, you suddenly spotted someone who could help you and waited for a moment for him to finish his conversation with what looked like a contractor.

"Connor! Gotta say, fantastic job. The place looks amazing. Only one problem though, now I'm lost!"

The mountain of a man bounded over and gave you a hug that would embarrass a bear and chuckled at you, quickly letting go when he realised you were wheezing slightly. Connor was Achilles adopted son and right-hand man, and also one of the few remaining people of the Mohawk tribe. He stood at six foot something tall and was very intimidating, but you knew better when he was around his friends.

"Shé:kon (name)! It is good to see you back, it has been too quiet here with you gone."

"Doubt anyone else has the same opinion sweetie, especially Achilles! Speaking of, where's his office now? He left a message saying he wants to see me."

Connor gave you a soft smile and gestured for you to follow him, leading you up the stairs to the end of the new balcony and stopping at the door on the right.

"It would be wise not to speak out of place (name), it has not been a good morning. Stocks have dropped, and he has been outbid on the warehouse at the port, so please be cautious."

Taking a deep breath and wishing you could have come earlier now you knew you were about to be on the receiving end of one of Achilles legendary bad moods, you rolled your eyes as Connor hastily retreated back downstairs when you rapped your knuckles on the door.

"Come in!"

Heeding Connors warning you entered the room quickly, closing the door behind you and standing in front of the desk, waiting for him to permit you to sit. Taking a moment to eye up the room while Achilles finished his conversation on the phone, you bit the inside of your lip as you glanced over the large bookcases on the back wall, trying to concoct a reason to get closer to them. You dropped into the chair when Achilles motioned for you to sit, your eyes not leaving his as he slammed the receiver back on its cradle and sighed heavily.

"Thank you for coming (name), I'm sure you are wondering why I asked you here, so let's not dally. Altaïr is currently waylaid out of the country on a mission, so I would like you to fulfil his role here temporarily in his absence. You will work with Connor in setting up the new security system and cameras, in preparation for the ball."

"M...Me? Surely there's someone better...."

You were cut off by him raising his hand in slight annoyance before turning to his computer and typing something in, the printer in the corner whirring to life when he had finished.

"Altaïr is my Chief of Security, and I trust him implicitly. He was the one who recommended you, do not let him down. No one sees those schematics apart from you and Connor. Is that understood?"

Regaining your composure quickly as you got up to retrieve the sheath of papers from the printer, you saw your opportunity to stand closer to the bookcase when you saw that there was something in your hand that didn't belong. Standing beside Achilles and handing him the printed email, a wave of guilt washed over you as he snapped it from your hand and turned it face down on the desk then picked up the phone again; signalling that you were dismissed.

Leaving the room quickly, you stood on the balcony staring at the wall for a moment, trying to process what you had just seen. Reading swiftly and remembering details was one of your specialities, both a blessing and a curse sometimes. The email was from a well-known doctor in New York, an Oncologist to be precise. Achilles had cancer?! The words **Inoperable** and **one year** replayed over and over in your mind, making you hope that you had read wrong, but you knew that you hadn't. You were pulled from your trance by the sound of your phone going off; nearly making you drop the swath of papers as you dug around in your bag to find it.

**Coffee? I'd love to see you again.**

Suddenly remembering one of the reasons you were here, you typed back quickly, thankful that Shay had the mind to keep his messages vague and non-descript.

_Busy with work, lots to do. I'll message when I can._

**I understand if you don't want to see me, but please just say so.**

Sighing at his reply, you made a mental note to buy a burner phone once you got out of here and slyly held the papers you had in front of the pin, lingering them there just long enough so he would understand why you couldn't just rush off at his beck and call.

_I'm not brushing you off, REALLY busy._

God, this was sounding more like a needy relationship with each passing message you thought.

**Ok, hope to see you soon. X**

Raising your eyebrow at the kiss at the end of the message, you stuffed your phone back into your bag and headed back downstairs in search of Connor, grimacing when you spied him with several rolls of what you assumed were floor plans in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

"Gaaaaaaaaah!"

Literally banging your head against the doorframe of the security office when the computer simulation had finished and detected yet another blind spot in the cameras, you scowled at Connor when he sat there chuckling at you.

"Do not do that (name), that door is new."

Sticking your tongue out and collapsing in the chair next to him, you grabbed the keyboard and began rewinding the video so you could see how many degrees the camera needed turning again.

"We've been at this for half a week, when's Altaïr coming back?!"

You let out a heavy sigh when he leaned back and shrugged his shoulders, then grimaced when he picked up his glass and finished it's bright green contents in one swallow.

"Urgh, how can you drink that? It smells like pureed weeds."

"Wheatgrass is very good for you (name), it keeps the body and mind clear. You should try it sometime."

"No thank you, I'll stick to the good stuff." You mumbled as you picked up your coffee cup, spitting the mouthful straight back into it when you found it stone cold.

"Three degrees to the right. Your turn."

Shooing him away when he started to grumble about how it was definitely not his turn to adjust the wretched thing, the second he was out of sight you brought up all eleven working cameras, memorising their new positions in the manor. Any information to help Shay steal that ugly necklace would be hugely beneficial, the only upside at being given this infuriating task. Satisfied that you could remember them all, you closed the window and brought the one back up to the camera you were working on, leaving Connor none the wiser as he walked back through the door.

"Try now."

Jamming the enter button with your thumb, you tapped your fingers on the desk irritably as you waited for the program to taunt you again with another failure.

"By the way, I forgot to ask. What's this party for? It didn't say in the email."

"Achilles birthday of course! He insisted that he did not want to make a fuss, but it is his 70th, and also, I think everyone's spirits could do with lifting, do you not think?"

Giggling when he sat bouncing in his chair like an excited child, you had to agree that everyone had been in a slump recently. You were partly to blame for that, just when the Assassins thought they were getting the upper hand for once, the Templars quickly stepped in and snatched whatever advantage they thought they might have had from right under their noses, mostly from the information you were feeding them. You did feel a pang of guilt at betraying your friends, but when you found out that Duncan Walpole was torturing innocents for information a few years ago; and the other Master Assassins knew about it but decided to let him get away with it, that's when you decided you were working for the wrong side. The Assassins had become desperate, all morals starting to fly out of the window and going completely against everything that you believed in.

Snapping out of your thoughts when the computer pinged that it had finished its diagnosis, you punched the air and whooped when it finally said that the interior was entirely under watch. Making a quick mental note of the position of the last camera, you grabbed your bag and slung it over your shoulder, much to Connor's surprise.

"Where are you going (name)?"

"I don't live here remember? Three whole days, I need my own bed."

It was partly the truth, in seven months you had only slept at your place once, but the main reason was to get back the Mandarin Oriental and hand over the pin, plus draw down the new designs of the Homestead before lethargy made you forget. It was close to midnight when you finally arrived at the hotel, much to the annoyance of the valet who was just about to clock off for the evening. Scoffing and storming past the concierge into the lift when he whispered something about 'working guests are not allowed', you suddenly realised that Shay didn't know that you were on your way. Figuring it was too late to warn him now, you sluggishly dragged yourself down the hall and knocked softly on the door, only just suppressing your smirk when he answered wearing just a pair of sweatpants.

"Don't you ever get dressed? Or am I just special?" You chuckled as you walked in, suddenly feeling a bit more awake.

"I would have made an effort lass, had I known ya were coming. Then again, maybe not?"

Biting the inside of your lip when he gave you a knee-weakening look, the corner of your mouth twitched when you saw that he had realised that you didn't embarrass so quickly after all, given the now slightly determined expression on his face. What was going on in your mind, however, was a different story, and not something you planned on revealing anytime soon.

"So, managed to drag yourself away then? Not that I'm complaining, but what's so important that it couldn't wait till the morning?"

"Beer. Pad. Pencil. In that order, if you would be so kind Mr Cormac."

Grinning as you took off your hoodie and kicked off your shoes, you dropped down onto the sofa and wiggled about on it, enjoying its softness compared to the desk chairs you've been sat on for the past few days.

"One beer, one pad, one pencil, in that order, ma'am."

Taking the beer and swallowing half its contents in one go; much to Shays amusement, you placed it down and brought the pad up onto your knees, sketching the floorplan hastily on the paper.

"Ya gonna tell me what you're drawing?"

Shay sat down next to you with his own bottle in hand, cocking his head to try and see over your arm and what you were actually doing.

"A unicorn." You scoffed, giggling slightly as you took in Shays bemused expression. "I'm not joking. A mythical thing that doesn't exist apparently?" 

You turned the pad to show him a plan of the second level of the manor, something that even the Grand Master of the Templar's couldn't obtain. It was quickly drawn, but accurate enough to be useful in your next task.

"This my dear Shay, is our way in. I made sure that there are no camera's pointing towards the door of Achilles office, so that should give you more time. Let's just hope they don't spot it and change it. Did you get the signal?"

"Well played lass, you've done a grand job. Yes we got it, it's been analysed and we've found out what kind of vault it is, someone else is workin' on the voice recognition bit that we're also gonna need."

Your brow furrowed slightly at the thought of someone else sneaking into the manor, but brushed it off as you knew that Achilles' voice was easily gotten recently with all the planning and phone conversations he's been doing. Handing Shay the pad and taking a small fob off him so you could examine it, you noticed it wouldn't go amiss on a set of car keys, so would be easily smuggled into the party.

"It's good. You have till the morning to get that memorised, then it's ash. Understand?"

"Aye. Oh, Master Kenway told me to give ya this, get something nice to wear to the ball."

Shay pulled out a usual velvet bag from his pants pocket and handed it to you, a glimmer of a smile creeping up your face when you tipped out its contents to reveal a miniature gold bar, easily sold for several thousand dollars.

"So you and Kenway...?"

"No!" You blurted out a little too quickly when you clicked onto what he was getting at, looking up at him to see him slyly smirking at what you had just said.

"Um, no. We're just friends."

"Ah I see. When a man gives a woman something like that, he wants to be a bit more than just friends lass."

"Yeah I know." You mumbled as you slipped the gold back into its bag and tucked it into your jeans.

Yawning and stretching out to try and make yourself more alert for the drive home, you let out a small cry and grabbed your shoulder when the muscle spasmed up, cursing as you tried to massage the crick in your neck.

"Move forward."

"What?"

Shay finished off the last of his beer and placed the bottle on the table in front of him, then slid behind you and used his legs to shuffle you forwards so he could sit behind you fully. Your mouth formed a small 'o' when he began massaging your shoulder and neck, wincing slightly when he rubbed his thumb along the tightened muscle.

"God yer tense, you work too much. So not Master Kenway, but surely you've got a fella that's gonna be pissed that you're going with me to the fancy do and not him?"

Your eyelids had drifted closed as your neck began to feel better with each pass of his hand, but you soon snapped them open and rolled your eyes when you knew what he was probing at.

"No fella, haven't had for years. I prefer it that way."

"How come? I've been the same, but not through choice. I'm supposed to be dead remember."

Sniggering at his comment, your eyes closed again when he moved to the other side of your neck, wondering if you wanted to reveal more details about your life. It was nice to have a conversation that wasn't about work for a change, and you weren't about to stop him from rubbing your shoulders whatever his intentions, so you chose to carry on.

"Had a couple of relationships, the first was with a civilian who knew nothing about what we do. Don't think that needs any more explaining? The last, well he is an Assassin, but when I started working for the Templars... There's only so much lying and sneaking one can do before the other has had enough of it. So, less drama this way."

Feeling more than drowsy due to your lack of sleep and rather amazing neck rub from Shay, you snapped your head up when you realised that you had almost nodded off, earning you a soft chuckle from the man behind you.

"Come on lass, you're not going anywhere tonight. You're lucky I don't mind sharin' a bed."

Looking up groggily when he slid one arm under your legs and the other around your shoulders; picking you up and carrying you to his bedroom, you barely registered him dropping you down on the soft pillows, pulling the duvet over you.

"Thank you, Shay." You mumbled, already half asleep.

"No problem. Hope ya don't snore?"

Giggling gently and tucking the duvet under your chin when you felt him climb into the bed next to you, you shook your head as you spoke, your words barely more than a tired whisper.

"No, I don't.... you're awfully sweet for a Templar.... nice ass too...." Was the last thing to pass your lips as you fell into a deep sleep.

Fluttering your eyes open when a crack of light warmed your face through the curtains, you sat up with a start and checked your watch when you thought you'd missed your code; sighing and rubbing your face when it was only just after eight. Glancing to the other side of the bed and noticing it was empty, you dragged yourself up and plodded towards the living room when the smell of fresh brewed coffee and bacon tickled your nose. Your stomach began growling when you spied the spread on the table; toast and jam, bacon and eggs, platters of fruit, and of course, lots of caffeine. Shay peered over the newspaper he was reading when he heard you come in, confusing you slightly when he dropped it down onto the table with a rather seductive grin.

"Morning lass, sleep alright? Help yourself to breakfast, didn't know what you liked so ordered a bit of everything."

"Yes, thank you again for letting me stay. Something funny?"

Sliding onto the chair next to him and grabbing a slice of bacon, you chewed on it thoughtfully as you stared at him out of the corner of your eye, wondering what the cause was for his amusement.

"Ah nothing important. Ya got anything to do today? We could do with making a plan of what we're doing once we get inside the manor, and I was wondering if you could pick something up for me?"

"Such as?"

Helping yourself to a cup of coffee and a slice of toast, you held the bread between your teeth as you got up and rummaged through your bag for your phone, entering your code before checking your emails and schedule. As you weren't expected back from Russia until later this week; your constant nagging at Shaun making him work extra hard so he could be rid of you, so your next two days were event and mission free. Though the thought of being an errand girl didn't vastly appeal, spending the day lounging about with nothing to do was equally unattractive.

"Something I can't send the concierge out for, let's put it that way. So, you free for a bit?"

Nodding when you stuffed the remainder of the slice in your mouth and coughed as you swallowed it a bit too hard, you pulled your hoodie on and grabbed your bag, desperately needing at least a shower and a clean set of clothes before you spent the day planning anything.

"Yep, going home to change first, I can pick up whatever you need on the way."

"You could freshen up here if ya like, can send your stuff out to be cleaned?" He said hopefully as he handed you a slip of paper with an address on it, along with a small brass key.

Your eyes narrowed slightly as you wondered why he wanted you to stay so much, thinking it was rather presumptuous of him that you would actually want to be naked and wet in the next room. He wasn't wrong, you'd thought about it on more than one occasion, but that would only be stoking a fire that you didn't want burning at this moment in time, so you decided against it.

"That's okay, there's a few other bits I need to do as well. Who's _Finnegan?_ "

The address on the note was one that you knew well, it was an old pawn shop in the back streets of Boston, somewhere you actually planned on going today to sell the gold you had been given from Haytham. Shay had obviously noticed your apprehension at his suggestion, as he all of a sudden felt the need to explain why he had said it.

"A couple I know who hid a few things for safe keeping. The boss was wrong, there are a few people who know I'm alive, but they don't know where I am. When I asked if ya wanted to stay I didn't mean anything by it, just nice to have someone to talk to other than Master Kenway. Was kinda hoping we could be friends as well as work together."

Even though you had just decided _not_ to pursue the man, you couldn't help a pang of disappointment as you watched him get up and open the front door for you.

"I'd like that. You seem like a decent bloke, maybe when you're done hiding in the shadows, we could go out for a drink."

"Kind of you to say love, I'm not just a nice ass ya know."

Turning around wide-eyed to see him give you a cheeky wink before closing the door behind you, you now realised what he had found so amusing this morning. _You had said that out loud?!_ You remembered thinking it just before you drifted off last night, and mentally scolded yourself for your lack of brain-mouth barrier putting you in an embarrassing situation yet again.

Pulling up outside 'Wynerts Pawn Shop', you scowled and waited a few minutes as you spotted two Templar hired guns walk inside. Even though the infamous Ned Wynert didn't work in this particular store, his rules were legendary, and his employees were to enforce them by **any** means necessary. The man was neither friend nor foe, completely neutral in accommodating both Assassin and Templar needs, and there was under no circumstances to be any conflict in or within the vicinity of any of his shops. After lengthy debating, both sides had eventually agreed. 

After several minutes of waiting you became impatient and headed inside, glancing over the shelves of the numerous trinkets and Knick knacks; including several hefty weapons while you waited for the clerk to be finished with his customers. You stood there defiantly when one of them turned around and immediately noticed who you were, thanks to the insignia on your hoodie that you had forgotten to take off. Clenching your fist when he slyly pushed his jacket to the side to reveal a holster and a 9mm Glock, a smirk creased your face when you heard the unmistakable cocking of a shotgun from behind him, making him turn around quickly.

"You know the rules. Get out, while you can still walk."

Stepping to the side when both the men glared at you and ran out before they got into even more trouble and lost a limb, you approached the counter with a cheery smile as the cashier returned his gun to under the counter.

"Templars, always so highly strung. What can I do for you today (name)?"

"Morning Marc. What will you give me for this?"

Handing over the small bag that you tugged out of your pocket, you fiddled with your cuff while you waited for him to weigh and examine the precious metal, then slide over his ledger to log the takings.

"Eighteen hundred. That's not up for negotiation either, the price of gold has dropped."

You nodded soberly in acceptance of his offer knowing that there was nowhere else you could take it around here, plus you had less than a week to buy some kind of a dress for the party. Stuffing the wad of money into a hidden compartment in your bag, you pulled out the key that Shay had given to you and placed it gingerly on the counter, much to his surprise.

"Need to pick up something too, it's under the name 'Finnegan'."

Flinching when he leaned under the counter to press something and the door automatically locked; the shutters rolling down and plunging the store into near darkness with a clang, you were now more than slightly baffled as he gestured for you to follow him to the back of the shop, grabbing the key and blinking a few times to readjust your eyes to the brightly lit corridor. Hesitantly entering an almost sparse, vault like room that had nearly two dozen locked metal doors inset on the walls after he punched in a lengthy code into the keypad on the wall, you slid Shays key in the left hand slot of one of the security boxes when he pulled out a ring of keys and slotted one into the right-hand side, both of you turning them at the exact same time. 

Marc left the room and closed the door behind him without saying a single word, only giving you a simple nod as the hinges creaked and revealed what you had come here to collect. Tugging out a rather old, but well crafted wooden chest and set it down on the small table behind you, you traced your fingers over the intricate carvings as you debated on whether you should open it or not. Your decision was made for you when you tried to lift the lid, but it wouldn't budge, and you could see no way of opening it without ripping the top off its hinges. Retrieving the key from the door and tucking the chest under your arm, you made your way back to the front of the shop, still baffled at what could be so important that it would be locked away like this.


	4. Chapter 4

The staff of the hotel had become used to you coming and going it seemed, when they barely even acknowledged you even though you had a wooden box balanced on your shoulder as you followed your usual route to the penthouse. Balancing it carefully on your knee so you could let yourself in, you silently toed the door shut when you saw that Shay sat at the table with his back to you, engrossed in something on his laptop with headphones on. Hmmm, he wants to be friends he said? Of the less than a handful of people who you actually call that, they would describe you as cheeky and playful, borderline tease with some of your antics towards your male associates, and you decided that he should be no exception.

Placing the chest down on the floor next to the wall, you crept up behind him silently and bent over so your head was level with the back of his neck, with every intention of licking him to get his attention. You soon realised that was not going to happen as the second you leaned in you felt a strong hand around your wrist; squealing as you were pulled forward firmly and spun around, so you were now sat in his lap with his left arm supporting you as you fell back.

"Holy shit you're quick! How did you know I was there?"

Chewing your bottom lip nervously as the way his eyes drifted over you instantly reminded you of the checklist you had made the first time you had met, you cleared your throat as he pulled you up to sitting and took off his headphones with his free hand, but quickly moved it back to the keyboard so you were pinned between his arms.

"You're not the only one with a few tricks up their sleeve lass." He chuckled as he jiggled you slightly on his legs to get more comfortable. "Take a look at this, our man in play to record Achilles voice."

Now partly aroused and still completely gobsmacked that he had managed to get the jump on you, you realised that he wasn't about to let you move anytime soon so you turned your head to look at the screen to your left. You couldn't quite believe your eyes as you stared at the crystal clear image of an overhead view of the homestead, several white vans coming and going with equipment and supplies for the upcoming party, with Connor directing them to different parts of the grounds. You thought that the manor was well protected against flying electronic devices, but you figured with Altaïr still gone, no improvements had been made since the renovations other than the cameras that you had recently done. Boy had the Templars done their homework. Shay's arms tightened around you; making your face warm up even more as he typed something to make the image zoom in to one specific man, who was speaking to a seemingly very irate Achilles judging by the way he was banging his cane on the floor.

"Will it work if his voice is angry?"

"Aye it should do, those computer techs are some clever blokes. Did you manage to get what I asked for?"

Speechless again when he dropped his hand on your leg and walked his fingers up your thigh very deliberately, you nodded your head and pointed over to where you had placed the box, your breath hitching when Shay scraped his chair back and stood up with you in his arms, gracefully placing you down on your feet.

"What's up lass, cat got ya tongue?" He chuckled as he picked up the chest and pushed his computer to one side so he could place it down on the table. Slyly shaking yourself off and finding your voice again now that you weren't sat on his knee, your usual quick wit came back swiftly, even with x-rated images running through your mind.

"Not at all. There's only one, perhaps two things that can make me stop talking."

 _Gotcha!_ You thought to yourself, wiggling your eyebrows suggestively and making it his turn to fluster, realising that you actually quite liked that someone could match you in the flirting department. Sitting down in the chair and resting your chin in your hands as you balanced your elbows on the edge of the table, you watched him intently when he spun the box around and pressed on one of the engravings; which popped open to reveal a hidden lock. He pulled another key out of his pocket, a silver one this time and inserted it in the hole, turning it forwards and backwards several times to make the lid spring open.

"Very clever, I was wondering how you could get in it."

Shay winked at you as he started lifting out the contents of the chest, carefully placing each thing side by side on the tabletop. Two sidearms, Walther P99's to be precise, followed by what looked like his passport mixed with several other documents, and a slim leather pouch which he flipped open to reveal some very thin acupuncture type needles, accompanied by a glass vial filled with a deep blue liquid. There was obviously something else in there as he kept one hand inside the box, but for some strange reason he was hesitant in bringing it out. His eyes flickered between you and the chest for several moments before you saw him hold his breath and slowly lift his arm, your eyes widening in awe as revealed the last thing to you.

A hidden blade.

The concealed weapons had come a long way over the years, a tradition that the assassins had kept throughout the ages but adapting them to make them more easily disguised. Your own was merely a black leather strap around your arm, no bigger than a shirt cuff with thin bracelets attached to it; an untrained eye would just think it was a fancy accessory, and a small collapsible blade in the wrist compartment, but it was still just as deadly as the originals. But this. This one was old. A few hundred years you guessed given by it's design, but it was in almost pristine condition. Its black and tan hide was perfectly etched with intricate swirls, the silver buckles and casing showed only slight signs of wear. This one had been looked after well. Reaching out to touch it but drawing your hand back quickly when you saw Shay was still looking at you nervously, you chanced the question that had been on the tip of your tongue since you laid eyes on the gauntlet.

"You're... An assassin?"

Your words were barely a whisper as he pulled up his shirt sleeve and slid the bracer onto his arm, fingers deftly doing up the straps as if he had done it a million times before.

"I was. Betrayed by my own, the same as you I'm guessing. Although you haven't nearly been killed because of their treachery."

"The bullet wound on your back?"

You drummed your fingers on the table as you processed this new information when he softly nodded once, wondering if it actually made a difference what he was before. It must have taken a great deal of trust for him to tell you this, and you actually felt kind of smug that he had enough confidence in you to reveal yet another secret that could endanger his life. But now there was a problem, one that needed to be addressed immediately as it could put your entire operation in jeopardy.

"Makes no odds to me if you were an assassin before, you've just proven even more how underhanded they can be and I'm not exactly one to judge. But we're about to go into the manor with god knows how many other masters and what not, surely someone will recognise you?"

Shay looked more than slightly relieved that you seemed unfazed at what he had just told you, all nervousness dropping from his face and his usual devilish grin creeping back quickly as he fiddled with his shirt so it completely covered his blade.

"Doubt it, I never really worked with others, kind of a lone wolf ya might say. A couple of the mentor's might, and maybe one or two others, so I'll stay out their way if you need to do your thing. Plus we'll be wearin' masks, so that'll help no end."

Completely forgetting that Connor had gone over the top and decided it was to be a masquerade ball now, you felt slightly at ease that you wouldn't be caught escorting a well known traitor and possibly exposing yourself at the same time. It was still risky, but you were sure you could still pull it off. Grabbing the laptop and sliding it towards you, you shooed him away with a grin when he moved behind you and rested his chin on your shoulder, attempting to peek at what you were doing.

"Nuh uh, you're not seeing the dress until the big day."

 

 

You were sat in your car, shuffling in your seat to try and push away the need to pee that you'd been wanting for the past hour. Just as the urge started to become overwhelming, the person you had been sent to _'retrieve'_ information from finally came out of the bank and strolled into the coffee shop next door. Perfect. Jumping out and almost sprinting across the street and into the store, the corner of your mouth twitched when you saw that you could kill two birds with one stone when your mark went straight into the ladies room. Finally getting to relieve yourself, you took your time washing your hands and pretending to fix your makeup as you waited for your assignment to come out of the end cubicle. The second you heard the door click, you took three large steps to block her way from coming out, pushing her back inside forcefully so she fell back onto the toilet with a thud.

"Miss Greene. You're William Johnson's secretary, are you not? I'd like to talk to you about the warehouse that he's trying to buy at the docks."

You flicked out your hidden blade when she went to jump up to try and get by you, grabbing her by the throat and aiming it towards her eye with a menacing chuckle. She was taller than you which is why she probably thought she could get away, but the second she saw your weapon her eyes widened in fear, now knowing who she was up against.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, I'm not exactly in a good mood right now and it would be in your own best interests if you cooperated."

"I'm not saying anything, Assassin." She spat, wheezing when your grip around her tightened in a show of your impatience.

"Oh you will, unless the last thing you want to see is the ceiling of Starbucks toilets. Now, how high is Mr Johnson prepared to go for that particular property?"

Sighing and shaking your head when she pursed her lips together in defiance, you raised your arm and pressed the tip of your blade into the corner of her eye, with just enough pressure so that it broke the skin.

"Okay okay! I'll.... I'll tell you! Half a million, he... he really wants it!"

You grimaced when you knew that was way more than Achilles was able to pay, and this certain warehouse next to the docks was fundamental in bringing in supplies for renovations across the city, including creating about a hundred jobs, which is why you would never sabotage his attempts in procuring it. After overhearing a meeting between Haytham and Johnson whilst you were hid in Kenway's private bathroom when he turned up unannounced, you knew what kind of business man he was. Shrewd and sneaky, a sniper who loved letting people think they had won, and then snatching whatever it was from their grasp at the last second. Having this knowledge you had come prepared for this, letting go of the now trembling womans neck so you could pull something out of your pocket. The bidding was due to end at 5pm today, so you had to make sure that your plan went without a hitch, forcing you to do something completely out of character.

"At 4:55 today, I want you to plug this into your computer, not a second earlier, not a second later. Do you understand?"

You pressed a USB stick into her hand and squeezed her fingers tightly shut around it, narrowing your eyes when you saw she was about to drop it into the toilet.

"Do it, or I'll pay a visit to your sister Lily. She still lives near the park right?"

It was an empty threat, you would never do anything to harm an innocent, and you hoped that the slight falter in your voice didn't betray that fact. Luck was on your side when her face became panic stricken and she nodded furiously, on the verge of tears as she slipped the stick into her bag. Retracting your blade and pulling yourself straight, you left the nearly bawling woman dabbing at the spot of blood on her cheek, giving her one last threatening look before heading back out and towards your car. 

Glancing at the clock on your dash, you cursed under your breath when you were now running late to pick up your dress thanks to the mission taking longer than you had initially thought. You had fifteen minutes to get across town, so you revved your engine loudly as you sped off down the street, hoping that the lights were on your side for a change. Making it to the 'boutique' with literally thirty seconds to spare, you nearly crashed into the door and through the glass pane just as the owner went to close it and lock up for the day. 

"Becca, I'm so sorry I'm late! I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

Comically begging and blowing her kisses when she opened the door to let you in with a grumble, you giggled and rubbed your hands together when you saw your dress hanging up next to the rack of guns. This wasn't your average boutique. Rebecca specialised in clothing sure, but adapting it for certain... activities. Guns, blades, Tasers, if you needed it concealing, she was your girl. A parachute hidden in a bikini? No problem.

"You had better (name), I'm meeting my tit of a fella in an hour, so hurry up and check it so I can get out of here."

"I'll be quick. Did you manage to make the alterations okay?"

"Of course. It's not like I'm a novice at doing these kind of things." She said a little irritibly as she crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, but you paid her bad mood no mind as you already had something tucked in your back pocket that would make up for your tardiness.

Running your hands over the jet silky fabric, you examined the front of the dress to see that it's splits had been extended to just above mid-thigh level so you could move more freely should the need arise, and two secret pockets had been sewn into the bodice of it so you could take a slim blade or something else that you could use to defend yourself. Not that you expected anything to go wrong tonight, but your cautious side wouldn't allow you to go unprepared in case the worst should happen. Picking up the clutch and shoes that would accompany it, you gave her a beaming smile and handed over an envelope filled with money in appreciation for what she had done for you on such short notice, and of course her discretion in why you would need to conceal something in your dress, which she knew you'd be wearing in a room full of assassins.

"It's perfect, you've definitely outdone yourself! Here, sorry I was late."

Grinning when she squealed excitedly as you handed her two box tickets for the next Red Sox game, you carefully slipped the garment in its bag, eager to get home so you could start the lengthy task of primping yourself for later.

"Told you I'd make it up to you. Tell Desmond I said hi, and he owes me a sparring rematch for cheating last time."

"Oh I will, thanks for these, you've made my week!"

Waving as you almost skipped back to your car and lay everything down on the back seat, you slid into the front and pulled out your phone, hoping that the last thing you needed to do went just as smoothly. Digging your earpiece out of the glove box, you fiddled with it to get it marginally comfortable and brought up your call list, hitting redial to the last person you spoke to.

"Shaun? You there?"

_"Yes, did everything go to plan your end?"_

Slapping your head when you remembered he couldn't see you nodding on the other end of the phone, you turned on the ignition and pulled out of your space, taking the slighty longer way home so you would go past Templar headquarters.

"God I hope so. I'm almost there, are you ready?"

You pulled up across the street of your destination and kept the engine running as you stared intently at the revolving glass doors, your knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel so hard while you waited for Shaun to work his magic.

_"I'm in. Any minute now."_

Breathing a sigh of relief that your intimidation had worked, you burst out laughing a few seconds later when you heard the ringing of smoke alarms in the air, the people who were working in the building pouring out into the street now soaking wet from the sprinkler system. Spying a very angry William Johnson throw his now ruined cell phone onto the floor and smashing it to pieces, you pulled off in almost hysterics and wishing you had the time to take a photo of the sodden Templars.


	5. Chapter 5

"Son of a....!"

Grabbing a tissue when you managed to poke yourself in your eye with the mascara wand, you gently blotted away the black smudge, careful not to ruin any of the other makeup that you had just spent the last half hour doing. Clenching your fist to try and stop your hand from trembling, you chucked the mascara down on your dresser with a sigh when it did little good. You hadn't been this anxious about going out on a mission since your first time in the field all those years ago, the ticking of the clock on the wall as it edged closer to the time Shay was picking you up making it more nerve-wracking with each passing second.

Studying yourself in the mirror and determining that you didn't look like a clown, you grabbed your shoes and slipped them on, wobbling a little as it had been some time since you had worn heels _this_ high. You dropped to the floor and rummaged about under your bed to pull out a small weapons chest, scowling when the several yards of body tape you had used to keep your dress in place started to peel from your skin. _"Whyyyyyy did I choose one with a low back?!"_ You wailed to yourself miserably as you pressed the dress firmly onto the side of your breast again, praying that it actually held for the evening so the entirety of the Brotherhood didn't see your nipples.

Picking the smallest and thinnest blade you owned out of the box and kicking it back under the bed, you tucked it into the concealed pocket in the front of the bodice, the ruffled and beaded fabric hiding it outlines perfectly. Peering past your curtains when you heard a car horn outside, you took a deep breath and picked up your clutch and mask off your dresser when you saw a black town car waiting for you downstairs, hoping that you weren't about to make the biggest mistake of your life.

Ignoring the stares from the chauffeur as he held open the rear door for you, you held onto your dress tightly as you slid yourself in onto the smooth leather seat, Shay's instant gawking making you giggle slightly.

"Shit lass, you do scrub up well. Don't think ya can say anything about me not wearing much anymore."

"Um, thank you? You look nice too." You uttered as you pulled the dress over your leg when it had parted due to the high slit and the movement of the car, stealing little peeks at him out of the corner of your eye. 

Your heart began to pound as your gaze roamed over him and drank in every little detail, wondering how on earth you were going to be able to concentrate on **anything** now. He was wearing a tuxedo, but he had foregone the traditional bow tie and left the top two buttons of his shirt undone, a dark red brocade waistcoat and he had left his hair down; only just resisting the temptation to raise your hand to run your fingers through it. The mask he had chosen suited him perfectly, completely covering the top half of his face with little horns on the edge, reminding you of a devil. If you didn't know who he already was, you would never have been able to guess.

You yelped when the car took a hard left turn and you slipped across the seat so you were now pressing up firmly against Shay; glancing up quickly to see the driver sniggering in the rearview mirror.

 _Cheeky bastard._ You thought as the warmth from the man next to you seemed to swarm straight to your core, not helped in the slightest when he rested his hand on your knee. Clearing your throat gently, you leaned over to pick up your mask that had fell to the floor thanks to the drivers' shenanigans, and shifted around to turn your back to Shay as you held it up to your face, figuring the momentary distraction would give you the chance to calm down slightly.

"Would you mind?"

You had never been so wrong in your life.

Your skin immediately goose bumped when his fingers grazed your neck to pick up the ribbon that would secure your mask, your breathing becoming shallower, faster when he tied it carefully as not to catch your hair and leaned in closer to whisper in your ear, his knuckles skimming down your bare back.

"Is that alright?"

You hoped the lace of the mask covered enough of your cheeks to hide the flush creeping up them as you softly nodded and turned back around so you could sit properly, catching his gaze and unable to look away when you saw his eyes had darkened to almost black.

"You okay love? Don't seem yourself tonight."

It took you longer to reply than usual thanks to your highly aroused state, making Shay look a little anxious when he thought that he had overstepped his bounds as you quickly looked away and stared at the purse in your lap.

"I'm fine, just a bit of nerves. Because of the mission." You blurted out, not able to come up with any other excuse. "Plus it's a bit warm in here, glad I didn't bring a coat."

Shay chuckled at your attempted excuse of why you were so distracted tonight, smirking to himself when he caught you staring at his rear as he leaned forward to pick up a decanter and two glasses from a drinks compartment near the door.

"Is that right? Well, how about a little something to steady those nerves ay?"

Damn it. He knows what he's done to you. Hoping to pull yourself out of the clouds, you flashed him a smile as he handed you one of the glasses with a rather hefty slosh of whiskey in it, staring at the amber liquid for a moment before drinking it in one gulp and coughing slightly when spices burnt your throat.

"Thanks, I needed that." You wheezed as you handed him back the glass, looking out the window to see a familiar car park.

"Shay, we're here. You ready?"

Watching him wink at you and knock back his own drink before getting out the car with an air of confidence when it pulled up outside the manor, you were pleasantly surprised when it was him that opened the door for you and not the driver. Taking his arm as he extended it to help you out, you took a deep breath and put your game face on as you were escorted up the steps and into the party.

Making it through security without a hitch; the gadgets Shay had concealed in his jacket just as undetectable as before, your eyes widened as you walked through the dimly lit hallway towards the back of the house. It had been cordoned off to all apart from Connor and the workmen, making it a surprise for everyone attending and you were almost speechless as you passed through the thin strips of voile and into the new grand hall. It was something out of a mystical fantasy, nearly all completely candle lit, drapes of purples, reds, and golds isolating off secluded booth's and areas, and a large dance floor in the middle of the room. A grand chandelier hung above it, reflecting the light and making it look like stars were floating in the air, and the band were playing something soft in the background while the guests were arriving.

"Wow, never been to a party this fancy before lass, did you know it was gonna be like this?"

Shaking your head as you looked about the nearly hundred odd guests that were already here, even though everyone was wearing masks you instantly spotted several people you knew. Ezio was not so subtly glancing at himself at one of the large ornate mirrors, smoothing down his ruffled dress shirt even though it wasn't creased. The corner of your mouth twitched as you spied the Greene’s, Evie looking way out of her comfort zone in an emerald chiffon ball gown and looking like she would do anything to rip it off right here and now.

"Nothing we can do at the moment, so how about we enjoy ourselves for a bit? You go an say hi, I'll go to the bar for us."

Shuddering when you felt Shay's hand caress the small of your back for a moment before heading over to the obscenely large drinks station on the left, you wondered how long you were going to be able to keep this up before you went out of your mind with lust as you made your way through the room towards your friends.

"Henry! I've not seen you in ages, how have you been? You look nice Evie."

Biting your lip so you wouldn't laugh when she scowled at your compliment, you gave Henry an apologetic look when he sighed and shook his head at his wife's growing temper.

"You know I despise wearing these infernal things (name), hence my bad mood. The second the photographs are done I'm getting changed."

Just as you were about to ask what photo's, you yelped when you felt a meaty hand slap your arse, spinning around when you immediately knew who would be so bold.

"Hi Eddie."

"Jeysus (name)! Daaaamn you look good! That dress would be much better on my floor though."

Edward Kenway was in charge of all of the assassins seafaring missions and armada of ships, fancying himself as a bit of a pirate and ladies man. The party had obviously started several hours before for him, judging by his slightly dishevelled state and the nearly empty bottle of Jack in his hand, but him being here also meant... Crap. Right on queue his best friend and your ex polled up behind him, slinging his arm over his shoulder with a couple of bottles of beer in his other hand, not quite as drunk as Edward, but still tipsy.

"Hi Jacob, made an effort I see. I thought you couldn't come because of what was going on in London?" You breathed when you saw he was in his usual attire of hat, waistcoat and shirt, but at least had the good grace to take his coat off.

"Eddie came and got me, no chance I'd pass up an open bar! Going back tomorrow, missed me?"

Even though your break up wasn't amicable, you still carried a torch for the man, and you knew he did for you. His offer to take you to London, away from all of this and get a fresh start had been hugely tempting, but like a fool, you had said no, in way too deep to be able to sever the ties from the Templars. They would have found you, exposing what you had done, branding you a traitor and being hunted down by both sides. Not a life that you wanted, and you definitely didn't want to put Jacob in more danger than he was already in so it was better this way. Noticing Evie and Henry were glaring at you; them having taken the brunt of Jacob's more than normal reckless behaviour and attitude after you had split, you forced a laugh and gave him a playful punch in the arm, then ruffled Edward's hair as you gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Course I missed you both, you're the life of the party!"

"Damn right we are! Who might this be then?" Edward said, his words becoming more slurred with each pass of the bottle over his lips.

You were surprised when you saw an arm come from behind you and hand you a glass of some kind of fruity punch, thinking that Shay was going to avoid as much interaction as he could with other people while he was here, but one glance up at him you knew he was confident enough that none of them knew who he was. The entire group bar yourself immediately tensed up at having a complete stranger in their midst, an expected natural reaction which is why you had come up with an alias during your planning.

"This is Sergei, we met in Russia. Sergei this is Henry and his wife Evie, Edward, and.. Jacob."

Watching Jacob flex his fist out of the corner of your eye when Shay wove his arm around your waist, you slyly elbowed him in the ribs to get him to remove it for two reasons. One, you had already drawn enough attention to yourselves without having a punch up in the middle of the hall, and secondly Henry was the only one to extend his hand to Shay, still eyeing him up suspiciously.

"Welcome friend, I hear Russia is nice this time of year. Kak vy poznakomilis' (name)?"

 _Wait, what?! Henry speaks Russian??_ Now this you had not prepared for, and you began to internally panic as you thought your cover was blown when Shay shook Henry's hand and just stared at him blankly. Your jaw dropped slightly with what happened next, the entire evening becoming full of revelations.

"Bezopasnost' v novom byuro. Think we better stick to English, doesn't look like anyone else here can speak the language?" Shay chuckled when he saw that Henry was satisfied that he was who he claimed to be, now eyeing up his hidden blade that was peeking out from under his shirt.

"Indeed. An admirer of the classics I see. I too prefer the older versions of weapons, you should visit my Curio shop if you ever venture to London."

"Aye I shall. I'm afraid I must steal (name) away for a moment, there's something we need to talk about. Good to meet you all."

You were still slightly dumbfounded as Shay returned his arm to around your waist and led you away from the group, who were now somewhat more at ease apart from Jacob who was still gritting his teeth and glaring as you went to sit down in one of the secluded booths.

"Well you're just full of surprises! Where did you learn Russian? I spent half a year there and only just managed to pick up 'where's the bathroom'."

"I used to travel a lot, helps no end if ya can speak the same language. Looks like I need to avoid a certain someone for the next few hours?" He whispered against you with an amused smirk on his face.

Glancing back to the other side of the room when he gestured over before draping his arm over your shoulders, you frowned when you saw a rather surly Jacob staring over at you, and an annoyed Evie yelling at him to calm down.

"Yeah.... Sorry about that. I don't know why he's being this way, he was the one who dumped me, and that was years ago. This isn't helping you know."

Jigging your shoulders and looking at him pointedly only made him pull you in closer, followed by a light kiss to the side of your head which made your stomach resemble an acrobats performance.

"I _am_ supposed to be your date this evening, people would think there was something wrong if I didn't behave this. Best I carry on, for appearances."

You chewed the inside of your lip as his fingers ghosted up and down your arm, knowing he was partly right, but that wasn't the main reason and it was driving you crazy, especially now you could feel his breath on your neck that was making you tremble in anticipation. You just stifled a whimper when his hand cupped your chin, tilting your head up so you caught his gaze as his thumb caressed your cheek, his eyes flicking over you enticingly as he leaned forward so that his lips were an inch away from yours.

"I need to go for a moment, check things out. I'll be back as soon as I can."

All you could manage was a simple nod as he slid out of the seat and made his way back out of the hall, snapping you out of your lascivious haze. _Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!_ You're a trained assassin for god's sake, how on earth are you letting a man seduce you like this?! At this moment in time you wish you had a gun pointed at your head, at least that would be less nerve wracking. Maybe.... You shouldn't hold back anymore? Once this mission was over you assumed you wouldn't be working together in the foreseeable future, so you could see no reason to keep denying what you craved so much.

Peeking through the drapes when you heard almighty cheers coming from the other side of the room, you burst out laughing when you saw Ezio and Connor engaged in a pretty intense arm wrestle, Edward somehow refereeing while still cheering for his grandson. Just as you got up to join in the fun, you were immediately knocked back down onto your seat when you crashed into something warm and firm, the wind knocking out of you when you saw Jacob had suddenly stepped in front of you to stop you from leaving.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Erm, sure. What about?"

Sliding down the seat so he could sit next to you, you began to feel slightly anxious when he just stared at his beer bottle, picking at the label and tearing it off one thin strip at a time.

"Where's your date gone?"

"Had to nip off to take a call, work I think."

"His loss is my gain then. I would never run off and leave you, _especially_ when you're looking like that."

Jacob smirked as he not so subtly eyed you up, your already warm features burning as he made that little needy keen that used to make your heart melt. You took a huge gulp of your drink to try and give you a moment to come up with some kind of witty retort, but after several moments of uncomfortable silence, you couldn't come up with a single thing other than to ask a dumb question.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

You kept your eyes fixated on his hands while he fiddled with the bottle a moment longer, making you slightly nonplussed when he set it down on the table and pushed it away, still half full. In all the years you had known him, he had never not finished a drink, he actually prided himself on it so you knew he must be serious for a change.

"I want... I want you to come back with me. Tomorrow. I've missed you so much. I've got a place now, and a proper job, apart from going about busting up Templars, and I know that's what you were worried about before even though you didn't say."

All you could do was sit there staring into space, your jaw slacked as his words hit your ears. You regretted saying no once before, and here he was asking you again. Your mind was whirl winding out of control, stirring up every single emotion imaginable within you as you internally debated his question. After what felt like an eternity, your vocal chords decided to work just as you had come to the same answer as before. You couldn't, you just... couldn't do it. The reasons hadn't changed, nor had the considerable risk to both his and your lives. Placing your hand gently on top of his and letting out a soft sigh as he gazed up at you hopefully, you found that you couldn't look him in the eye as you spoke.

"Jacob, I....."

You were spared of actually saying the words that he already knew were coming as he dropped his head numbly, when your attention was pulled to someone clearing their throat beside you. Snapping your hand back quickly and watching every single one of Jacobs muscles tense up as Shay pushed aside the fabric so he could see you properly, you flinched when Jacob suddenly got up and snatched his beer back off the table, knocking it back in one swallow before barging past Shay forcefully.

"She's all yours, mate." He sneered as his eyes flickered between you and Shay when he extended his hand to help you up.

"Never had a doubt. Mate. Appreciate you noticing though."

Even though the music had gotten louder you could hear Shay's comment was dripping with sarcasm, making you think you were back in a Grade school playground. Letting out a huff while you watched Jacob saunter off back over to his best friend and sister as if nothing had happened, you decided that you'd had enough dramatics this evening and concentrated on the mission at hand instead.

"So, everything's in order I take it?" You mumbled as he lay his palm on your back, the momentary lack of shudders down your spine coming back full force at his touch.

"Hmmm just about lass, just need to make sure everyone’s in here. We need to create some kind of distraction. You up for it? After your little conversation there?"

Cocking your head when you couldn't place his expression; the mask making it damn near impossible to distinguish anything other than the curve threatening to adorn his lips, you stood a little straighter and lifted your head with resolve, determined to see this thing through.

"Of course. What did you have in mind?"

You linked your arm through the crook of his elbow as he guided the way through the now almost jam packed hall and towards the polished wooden area in the centre, stopping at the edge of it to turn around to face you.

"Tell me love. Can you dance?"

A sensual smile crept up your face, and your chest began to flutter as he draped his hands on your hips and made little stroking movements; inhaling sharply as he stepped forward so that he was just brushing against you.

"Can you?"

"Aye, and not just in the way you're thinking of right now." He murmured huskily against your cheek before grazing his mouth against it, every part of you starting to go into a frenzy when he pulled back and even with his face half obscured, you knew _exactly_ what that look was.

There were only two other couples on the dance floor when Shay took your hand and led you into the middle, laying your hand on his arm as he rest his on your waist. The corner of your lips twitched as the band started the next song when they saw they had new people in front of them, Shakira's Objection ringing through the air.

"Did you plan this?" You gasped as he suddenly moved his arm down to part your dress and hook your bare leg over his hip, his other holding your body flush against his.

"Maybe."

You didn't know whether to smile or moan when he leant you back slowly, swaying you and bringing you back up as the intro started, his breath hot on your lips as he slowly and deliberately inched his hand up to caress the curve of your rear. You licked your lips when his eyes widened for a moment before he dropped your leg down to spin you several times in front of him, and you ended up with your back to his chest; sliding your body down him provocatively in time with beat.

"You're not wearing underwear, are ya?" He whispered in your ear as you returned back up and curled your arm around his neck.

"Nope."

The playful glint in his eye became more fervent, as you subtly pressed your ass against his groin just before he retook your hands, twirling you out of his embrace as the tempo started to quicken. 

You had been taught the tango long ago, your mentors insisting that you had to be ready in any situation, but nothing could have ever prepared you for this. Your skin felt like it was on fire under his every caress of your body, each time he pressed himself against you, you could feel a dangerous tingling in your abdomen, pooling between your legs that was blooming with each risqué step. You hadn't even noticed that the other people had left the floor and the vast majority of the party were now circling around gasping in awe at your alluring display; everything seemed to disappear, the only things remaining were you, and the man who was driving you to delirium under his touch. 

His grip tightened around you when you softly moaned in his ear as he slid his thigh between your legs, grinding you against him and pressing just hard enough to send a pulse straight through you that had you writhing against him for more, making the wetness that was growing seep into the fabric of your dress. You knew it wouldn't take much more to make you come undone, and judging by what all of your senses were telling you, it wouldn't for him either. From his heavy breathing that had nothing to do with the dancing, to the sly little kisses he kept leaving over you in between moves were definitely a sure thing of that. 

Just before your body was about to give in to the burning heat inside you, the music came to an end, leaving the whole room in complete silence while you stared into Shays' eyes, both breathless as he held you leant back in his arms. Your fingers dug into his arm as he closed the gap between you and softly pressed his lips against yours, just fleeting, but it was enough to make you melt into his embrace. You were dragged from your lust filled buzz when a thunderous applause filled the air, but neither of you moved until people came flooding towards you to sing your praises.

"When this is over, meet me later at the hotel? I think we should... talk. I've gotta go." He mumbled against your lips, not quite managing to control the cracking in his voice.

Shay gently pulled you back up to standing when a crowd swarmed around you, squeezing your fingers briefly with a look of yearning and anticipation when you nodded, and slipped out in the horde while everyone’s attention was on you.

"(Name) that was brilliant!" "Oh wow that was hot!" "Teach me! Please!"

You barely registered the compliments being thrown at you as you stared at the space where Shay was just stood, licking your lips slowly to taste the remnants of his kiss on them. Just as your brain reconnected with the rest of your body, you were suddenly met with a heavy arm over your shoulders and a loud smooch on your mask as you were led away from the still gushing mass of assassins.

"Well blow me! Didn't realise you were gonna be the entertainment tonight (name), don't think there's a dry seat in this place!"

Grinning and swiping the fresh bottle of rum out of Edward's hand when your mouth was decidedly parched, you took a quick swig before handling it back, noticing that Jacob was not among your group of friends anymore. Thinking he had just gone off to drink himself into a stupor after what had happened, you paid it no mind and instead gave a deep bow to your companions when they stared cheering and whooping as you were dragged over to them.

"(Name)?"

You turned around when you heard someone quietly mumble your name behind you, looking up with a beaming smile when you saw your closest friend staring nervously at the floor.

"Connor? You look, well, wow! A tux really suits you. What's up?"

"Well, I may not be as good of a dancer as the man you are with, but I was wondering, if you would do me the honour of joining me in the next?" He uttered timidly, his eyes flickering between everyone to see if there were any traces of laughter, which of course, there was none.

"Excellent idea! Course you will, won't you (name)! Teach this hulk of a grandson of mine how to woo a lady?"

You took Connor's hand gently and gave it a reassuring squeeze when Edward pushed you both towards the dance floor, yelling at the band to play something 'sexy'. Just as you guided Connor into the proper stance; his rigid posture and size making it no easy feat, you were about to take the first step when a deafening wail sounded out instead of the expected music. Dropping his hands and covering your ears when the piercing alarm began to hurt, you looked around frantically when it suddenly stopped, to see that all of the exits were now blocked with steel security doors. 

Panic began to set in as you fumbled in your bodice and pulled out your phone; the 'no signal' on your screen glaring at you in the dim light of the hall, a wave of dread washed over you when you saw that almost everyone else was doing the same thing.

You were trapped.


	6. Chapter 6

Taking a deep breath to calm your nerves, you checked your phone yet again and scowled when you saw that you still had no signal. You feigned irritation along with everyone else, alongside worrying if Shay had been caught or not while they speculated on what was going on, until you heard a loud bang come from the dancing area. The whole room became deathly quiet as you all turned towards the stage; standing in the centre of it with his head lowered was Achilles, slamming his cane to the ground several times over with an echoing boom to make sure he had everyone's attention.

"Something. Has been taken from me. Something very precious. No one is leaving here until it had been retrieved."

You clenched your fists when you realised that Shay hadn't been caught, Achilles wouldn't be sending his security detail around to search everyone if he had. But that didn't help your own situation at this moment in time, as you were very aware of the blade tucked discreetly into your dress plus the numerous questions you were about to be bombarded with about where your 'guest' had disappeared to. Either one of those by themselves you could probably blag your way out of, but not both, so you had to think fast of a way to stash the dagger somewhere. Hidden blades were permitted tonight as they were seen as part of the dress code, but explaining a knife without taking off your cuff would be very difficult indeed, and as everyone had seen you wearing it that wasn't an option. Just as you were subtly glancing around to see if you could spot a good hiding place, a soft smile crept up your face when Connor approached you, taking off his jacket and draping it over your shoulders. You wondered how he managed to get a shirt that sort of fit, his broad shoulders putting a huge strain on the seams of the fabric, but still, it suited him well.

"There you go (name), I would not want you catching cold, that dress does not look like it would keep you very warm."

Grinning as you sat down next to him on the steps, you pressed your nose against his jacket and inhaled deeply, his earthy tones making you relax slightly.

"Thank you. What's going on? Achilles said something's been stolen?"

"Yes. Something very important from his office, and we must get it back. That is all I am allowed to say. I must go, I need to help find whoever took it."

Dragging yourself back up when he went to resume his duties with security who were making their way through the crowd, you knew you didn't have long before they got to you as it would look very suspicious if you strayed away from the your current group. Suddenly remembering that you had left your clutch in the booth earlier, you had a perfect excuse to nip away for a moment and give you a chance to hide your weapon. Slowly edging closer to where you had sat, you had just managed to part the drapes and lean over the seat to stuff the blade between the cushions, when you froze as someone tapped you on your shoulder.

"Out of there. What are you doing?"

Figuring, well more like praying he couldn't see what you were doing, you quickly tugged out your dagger from your bodice and squeezed it between the gap in the seats, grabbing your purse a split second later before shuffling out to face an ill-tempered security guard.

"Left my bag here. Can't search it if I've not got it now can you?"

Frowning when he snatched it out of your hand and rummaged through it, pretty much throwing it back at you when what he was looking for wasn't in there, he pulled out a PDA from his pocket and bought up what you assumed was the guest list.

"Name?"

"(Name) (Last name)"

You tucked your bag under your arm and acted nonchalantly as he flicked through the names, pretending to look annoyed when he eyed you up suspiciously.

"Says here you had a guest. Where is he? And who's coat is that?"

"He left earlier for work. Had to contact the new bureau in Russia, there are others here that can confirm that. This is Connor's jacket, wanna search it?"

Seemingly satisfied with your answers, he mumbled 'no need' to your question before ushering you off to stand with the other people who had been searched, leaving you positively screaming inside when you had managed to get through this without being found out.

It took another three hours before everyone had been checked, everyone's patience wearing thin and Achilles temperment getting worse each passing second as they came up empty handed. With nothing else to do whilst you were waiting, you took the bottle that Edward passed you again and took another heavy dreg, glancing up at the clock and sighing when you saw it was nearly 2am.

"Don't you think you've had enough of that (name)?" Henry mumbled when he saw you sway slightly and lean up against Edward.

"I'll decide when I've had enough thank you."

Swatting Edwards hand away when he started to walk his fingers up your thigh, you growled when you looked at your phone again and saw that the battery was now completely dead. You suddenly jumped up when someone called out saying you could all leave, feeling a little nervous again as you pushed through the crowd and headed towards the fleet of taxi's outside that would take you all home. Tipping the driver heavily for taking a severely longer route to the hotel so you could make sure that you hadn't been followed, you snatched up the newspaper that had been left on the seat to shield yourself from the rain as you jumped out and ran in through the glass revolving door.

Your heart was pounding by the time you had exited the lift, slowly walking across the corridor towards Shay's room, resting your hand on the knob but not turning it. Just as you had gathered up the nerve to go in, you stopped when you opened the door just a crack and you could hear mumbling coming from inside. Creeping in without making a single sound so you didn't disturb whatever was going on, you left the door slightly ajar as you inched through the hallway, freezing to the spot when you heard a woman's voice moaning from the left. It took you less that a second to figure out what that noise was, confirmed when you heard a man's deep groan join and mingle with the higher pitched ones. _How could you have been so stupid?!_ Of course there was nothing going on between you, it was all a facade to make everything more believable for the mission. But why go as far to ask you to come back to the hotel??

Fury and hurt rose within you as you turned and left quickly, more with yourself than anything else at being so blind to what was now an obvious rouse to make sure that you did everything that he wanted. Clever, taking advantage like that, but you were damned sure that you would never let your guard down like that again. Threatening tears burnt your eyes as you numbly made your way back downstairs and to the front desk, asking the receptionist to call you another cab.

"I'm sorry miss, but we're only permitted to call taxi's for guests, and Mr Cormac..."

"I don't care!" You bellowed, cutting his little excuse short and banging your fists on the counter when your last nerve had been struck. "Call. Me. A taxi. Now."

The man jumped and raised his hands defensively at your outburst and quickly grabbed the phone off its receiver, making you wonder why he looked so petrified. Flicking your wrist when you saw that the impact had released your hidden blade, you slumped on the desk and buried your head in your arms when you felt a trickle down your cheek. There was a reason most assassins didn't have a partner or spouse in their lives, trusting someone was almost impossible which is why most were content to play the field. Not something you had ever done, but given what just happened you figured it was about time you changed that. Thanking and apologising profusely to the clerk when he said that your lift was waiting outside, you slid into the back of the car and gave him an address across the other side of town.

Not having the fortune of there being another newspaper to keep some of the rain at bay as you ran across the street towards Templar headquarters, you were completely drenched as you headed down into the carpark after you had saw that Haytham’s office light was still on. You knew he worked ridiculously late; until the early hours most nights, so you kept out of the way of the cameras until he came down, not chancing anyone spotting you here of all places. You didn't have to wait long, revealing yourself from the shadows when you heard the beep of a car alarm being deactivated, trailing your fingers over the hood as he looked up from where he was putting his briefcase in the trunk.

"(Name)? What are you doing here at this ungodly hour?"

"Hmm? Oh, just thought I'd let you know that Achilles knows that necklace is missing, but he has no idea who took it so everything pretty much went to plan."

Leaning up against his car after he closed the trunk, the corner of your mouth twitched when you saw his gaze immediately drift down when you crossed your legs at the ankle, making your dress fall from around them.

"Plus, I wanted to see you." You purred as you grabbed him by the tie and pulled him in front of you.

"Perhaps it would be best if I take you home my dear, you are quite drunk."

Scrunching your nose up when you could see him straining in holding himself back, you leaned forward and began nuzzling at his neck, leaving a trail of lip bites in trying to persuade him into giving you what you wanted.

"So? Don't you go all gentleman like on me now Haytham, isn't this what you've been after? This is your only chance, I assure you."

_Bingo._

The second you ground yourself up against him, he turned his head and crashed his lips against yours, raising his hands to cup your face as he kissed you frantically. Holding onto him so you could slide down the car and away from the door, you managed to locate the handle with your other hand, almost yanking it off as you pulled it open and dragged him into the back seat on top of you. You threw your head back and whimpered when he bit down on your neck, growling against you as his mouth moved lower and his hands fumbled about and found the edge of your dress, peeling it from your still damp skin and revealing your breasts to him.

You ran your fingers through his hair as he took each of your nipples in turn and sucked them with in turned lips, making them instantly harden and pebble as tendrils of pleasure-pain shot straight through you. What he was doing was good, but it wasn't what you needed at this moment. You wanted to be taken, filled, sod the foreplay. Thankfully his car was big enough for you to be able to maneuver about, so planting your foot on the floor so you could use it for leverage, you managed to turn him so his back was against the seats then grab his suit jacket to sit him upright while you straddled his knees. You leant over to slam the door shut now that his legs weren't dangling out of it, before licking your lips hungrily as you palmed the strain in his trousers and set to unbuckling his belt.

"How much do you want me Haytham?" You giggled as you delighted in his ravenous expression when you finally got his trousers undone, slipping your hand inside to stroke the hard velvety flesh.

"I have told you many times (name). A bed would have been more desirable, but I'm certainly not complaining."

He lay his hands on your legs and groaned, fingers digging in as you pushed his clothing down and freed him from his boxers, his shaft bobbing and twitching as you rubbed your thumb around his swollen tip to smear the leaking drips of pre cum over him.

"I hope you won't be complaining, moaning’s okay though." You smirked as you hiked your dress up as far as it would go and shuffled forward so you were hovering over him.

His hands seized your waist as you slowly lowered down, both your eyes rolling back in unison as he filled you deeply, your tight passage gripping him delectably.

"Do I, need to pull out?"

"Not necessary." You breathed, before proceeding to roll your hips and grind against his crotch.

Your walls instinctively clamped around him as you moved, the angle you managed to achieve making him rub against that sweet spot inside you, rewarding you with the tingly start of an orgasm. You began to move faster and circle your hips as he leaned forward and nibbled around your breasts, stopping just above your left nipple and sucked. Hard. Slapping his shoulder when he eventually moved away with a seductive grin, you looked down and narrowed your eyes when you saw that you were now sporting a deep purple bruise.

"Just a memento my dear, I am hoping you will come back for more."

Before you even have a chance to reply, he grabbed your hands and pinned them behind your back, lifting his hips and driving harder, faster into you, making you wail with the sheer intensity of it. You didn't care when you heard ripping as you spread your legs wider, the filthy sounds of his thighs slapping against your bare ass and the mix of throaty groans and growls in your ear were having a devastating effect between your legs; writhing uncontrollably as you were now skimming dangerously close to the edge of bliss.

"H..Haytham, t-touch me. Pleeease.." You babbled almost incoherently through your little pants, your chest heaving with the exertion.

You had to slow down as he let go of your arm to squeeze his hand between you, but that didn't matter. As soon as the pads of his fingers began circling your engorged clit, you threw your head back with a warbled cry as waves of sheer pent up pleasure consumed your body, and for a few seconds it became so intense, you thought you were going to pass out. The spasming of your walls around him sent him into a complete frenzy, his voice hoarse as he bellowed out your name and pulled you down hard on him a few times more, making you shudder when you could actually feel the searing rush of his come explode inside you.

You were both content to sit there for a moment, neither of you saying anything while you calmed down and you caught your breaths. After a few minutes you had to move due to the cramping in your legs, kissing his forehead and sliding off to sit next to him, giggling as your combined climaxes dribbled onto the leather upholstery.

"Just a memento."

Haytham smirked as he looked down and saw the mess, stroking your cheek with the back of his hand before tucking himself away and attempting to stuff his shirt back in.

"Difficult to explain a stain like that when I take it to be detailed, but most definitely worth it my dear. At the risk of sounding brazen, may I ask what I did to make you have a change of heart?"

You ignored his question for a moment so you could come up with a half decent sounding answer, scowling as you examined your dress and wondering how much it would cost to get the once thigh high splits, now waist height repaired. 

"Suppose I've come to realise that all work and no play isn't a way to live. No point in worrying about things I have no control over."

"I see." He mumbled as he slid his arms under your legs and pulled you on his lap, holding you against him in an affectionate way that you hadn't thought the man was capable of.

"And this, was a one time occurrence then?"

Sighing and laying your head on his shoulder when tiredness now started to kick in, you realised that other than being consumed by lust tonight, you _actually_ didn't know what you wanted anymore, other than being certain that you didn't want a relationship.

"Let's just take it one step at a time, no reason to over complicate things?"

"I suppose I can accept that answer, for the time being. Now, let's get you home shall we?"


	7. Chapter 7

You groaned and threw your pillow at your alarm clock when the infernal beeping woke you _way_ before you were ready, pulling the duvet over your head when the inevitable hangover started to kick in. Dragging yourself up in search of painkillers when it felt like a mariachi band had taken up residency in your skull, you grabbed your phone to flick through your calendar to try and remember why you had set your alarm in the first place, chucking it back down when you had forgotten to put it on charge and it was still dead. You rummaged about on your counter in search of your Filofax instead, flicking through the pages when you finally spotted it under a hefty pile of paperwork you still had yet to catch up on; scowling when you reached this weeks itinerary.

Cock. Today was the annual board meeting between the Assassins and the Templars, something that Mr Wynert had insisted upon to keep all things amicable in his business. This would only be the second time you had attended, forced to wear a wretched suit and take notes of any alterations to his rules and conditions of using his services. Finally locating some aspirin in your kitchen drawer, you knocked two back and shuffled to your bathroom, crossing your fingers that a hot shower would at least wake you up slightly.

Quickly finishing your second double espresso and chucking the empty cup in the bin, you fiddled with your sunglasses and hoped that no-one would say anything about them as you entered the State Room, and made your way to the Loft where the meeting would be. You had no idea why Mr Wynert always insisted on coming here, the place being big enough to hold at least a hundred people but just using one solitary table in the centre with just the fourteen of you around it. Quietly entering the room when you saw that everyone else was already here; even though you were ten minutes early, your heart seemed to stop when you saw Haytham sat near the head of the table immediately to Neds left and looking rather bored already.

None of the others seemed to notice the corner of his mouth twitch as he watched you walk in and take your seat on the opposite side, but you had, and even though you knew he would never let anything on you still felt a little apprehensive. Grabbing a pad and pen out of your bag when Wynert knocked on the table to signal the meeting was about to start, you kept your head low and tried to concentrate on what was being said.

"Let's get this done shall we? As usual you have one single hour of my time, so do try not to waste it? Two things. Firstly, you. Why are you wearing sunglasses in here?"

Snapping your head up when you realised he was talking to you, you bit your lip nervously when Achilles scowled at you for drawing attention to yourself.

"Umm, allergies. Sir."

"Well take them off. I don't like not being able to see into people's eyes when I talk to them. It shows distrust."

Nodding and taking off your glasses quickly, you winced when the bright overhead lights started to make your head throb again, hiding it the best you could by taking slightly longer to slip them into your bag.

"Now that's sorted, the second thing. Mister Kenway, it has been brought to my attention that some of your associates have been rather ill tempered with my staff. This is your second warning, a third and you will be facing a ban. Is this understood?"

"Implicitly. Mr Wynert." Haytham mumbled through gritted teeth, not at all happy that he was being forced to do someone else’s bidding.

You kicked Connors ankle under the table when he snorted at Haytham’s reprimand, making him cringe and clear his throat before returning to glaring at Lee. 

Fifty minutes had passed, and you had more than enough of the constant arguing and debating over several issues, that in your opinion were nothing more than to put it bluntly, a dick measuring contest. Who cares who gets to go into the shops first in the mornings?! It was trivial and pathetic, neither side refusing to budge on the matter just because the other wanted it. Snapping your pad shut when Ned had abandoned the argument and he said he had no more time to listen to squabbling; dismissing everyone with a wave of his hand, you jumped out of your seat with every intention of rushing home and crawling back into bed, when you were suddenly stopped by a hand grabbing your arm. Leaning in when Achilles started whispering something to you, your eyes widened when he had finished, not quite believing what he was asking you.

"London?!" You blurted out before you could stop yourself, clapping your hand over your mouth as Achilles squeezed your arm in warning when you both saw Kenway's ears literally prick up.

Haytham gathered up his things and threw them at Charles before sauntering over oh so casually as if he hadn't heard anything, stopping right next to you and smirking when he saw Achilles grit his teeth in anger.

"Achilles. (Name). So lovely to see you again my dear, I hope you are well?"

"Just fine thanks. Now if you will excuse me, I have to make sure that everyone reads these notes and adheres to the new rules."

You grabbed your bag quickly and pretty much speed walked to the exit, your current state and nerves not being able to handle much more pretence at this moment in time. The second your hand touched the door, you froze when you heard your name being called out, slowly turning around and letting out the breath you were holding when you saw that it was Achilles walking towards you.

"Please wait for me in my car, I will be down in a moment to continue our discussion."

"Yes sir."

Swallowing hard and carrying on down to the lobby, you used your thumb and forefinger to rub your temples to try and stave off the dull pounding that was threatening to appear again, silently admiring the way Haytham so easily put on a front. It had almost become second nature to you now, but on rare occasions your emotions got involved and made it slightly more difficult, and today just happened to be one of those days. Achilles instantly picked up on your slightly frazzled demeanour as he got into the back seat next to you, banging his cane on the floor to signal for the driver to go.

"So. Are you going to tell me why you are so distracted today?"

You fiddled with the strap of your bag as he continued to stare at you pointedly, waiting for an answer. You didn't dare tell him that you had a hangover, especially as you knew months ago about this meeting today and didn't fancy getting chewed out for it. 

"Just feeling a bit off. I'm sure I'll snap out of it soon, mentor."

"Humph. Be sure that you do, we have much to discuss. Now, London. Jacob and Evie have just discovered that Starrick is planning on shipping and selling illegal arms in the capital. They have requested assistance, I am sending you and Connor to help them. Connor will arrange transportation for you both, he is still gathering intel at the moment so you will be expected there within the next two weeks."

Staring numbly out of the window, all you could do was nod in acceptance of your orders. You had never been given a mission directly from Achilles before, and you couldn't help but wonder why he had suddenly decided to pay more attention to you. You hadn't done anything spectacular or noteworthy recently, other than a few mundane tasks that any of the Brotherhood could have accomplished. Then it hit you. The email that you had accidentally seen when you had been called to his office to sort the cameras. Glancing up at him out of the corner of your eye to see him with a sombre expression, you bit your lip for a moment as you gathered the nerve to ask him about it.

"Mentor, how are you...feeling?"

Achilles let out a soft sigh and slumped back into his seat, removing his hat and dropping it onto the seat between you before rubbing his face with his free hand.

"I figured that you had seen it, I recently discovered that gathering data is one of your specialties. I'm.. not well. The doctors say that I have less than a year, which is why I am trying to get everything in order. No one knows other than yourself, Connor and Altaïr, and I would like to keep it that way. Should our enemies find out...."

His voice trailed off as the car ground to a halt, making you look out the window and see that you were outside your apartment. Grabbing your things when he obviously didn't want to say anything else, you pursed your lips together to stop your bottom one from quivering, and ran up the steps and straight into your apartment.

Feeling a bit better now that you had a nap and another shower, you rummaged through your cupboards in search of food, grumbling to yourself when you found nothing even close to resembling edible. Checking your watch and snapping your fingers when you figured the market would be open for at least another hour, you grabbed your keys and phone, switching it on now that it was fully charged. You hovered in the doorway when as soon as the screen lit up it started beeping with notifications, three messages and one voicemail to be precise, all from the same number. Your heart was pounding and you held your breath when you hesitantly clicked on the first message, not sure if you actually wanted to know what it said or not.

**Is everything okay?**

Clicking back and moving onto the second, your apprehension quickly turned to anger when the feeling of being deceived balled in the pit of your stomach, but also something else, something that you didn't want to experience again.

**Trying to get hold of you, has something happened??**

Scowling and deleting the last message and voicemail without even reading or listening to them, you rolled your tongue in your cheek and sniffed dismissively, refusing to give it another thought when your stomach started growling loudly.

Browsing around the stalls and trying to decide if you could actually be bothered to cook anything or not, you were about to settle on the noodle bar until you scrunched your face up when the expected creeping feeling ran up the back of your neck, letting you know that you were being watched. You didn't have eagle vision like some of the other assassins, but you were extremely intuitive with heightened senses, and had gut feelings that were rarely wrong. Glancing around casually, you sighed when you spotted a familiar black van on the other side of the market, with no doubt several Templar thugs in it to 'kidnap' you again. Sneaking down one of the side streets, you figured if you were going to have to suffer being hauled away, you might as well have some fun first. 

Circling around the back of the shops, you climbed up the fire escape so you could get to the roof, perching on the edge of it so you were facing the front of the van. Sliding your bag around your shoulder so you could rummage through it, you sniggered to yourself as you pulled out a small gun like contraption and several firecracker darts, and unclipped the mini laser pen you had attached to your keys. Trying to aim steady through the shaking you were doing holding your pent up laughter, you pointed the pen straight at the drivers side of the windscreen and shot a dart at the sliding door on the side of it, the sound of something similar to rapid gunfire ringing through the air when it hit its target.

You burst into fits of giggles when three men wearing ski masks jumped out; weapons drawn and looking around frantically, only just calming yourself down enough to leap down from where you were and land cleanly on the roof of the van.

"Looking for me boys?" 

As soon as the one closest to you turned around to face you, you dropped down and slid off the roof; catching him around the neck with your legs so he fell backwards, punching him and knocking him clean out before he even hit the floor. Now that you had lost the element of surprise, the taller, thinner member of the group managed to get behind you and drag you up off his counterpart, but you stopped struggling and smirked when you realised who it was.

"Hello, Charles."

The second the words left your lips you threw yourself forward so he was forced to come down to your height, and flung your head back with all of your might, connecting with him square in the nose to make him let go of you so he could try and stop the profuse bleeding you had caused. Satisfied that you had somewhat gotten your own back for the _beating_ he gave you last time, you figured you had better get this over and done with; letting another pair of arms wrap around you and hold a foul smelling rag over your face, rendering you unconscious.

\--------------------------------------------------

Flicking your eyes open slowly, you sat up with a start when you weren't in the expected interrogation room, but laying on the couch in Kenways office instead. You rubbed your eyes when you still felt a little woozy, your vision starting to focus again when you looked over towards the desk and saw Haytham on the phone.

"I must go, something important just came up. Ah, you're awake at last my dear."

Gingerly getting up to standing when he hung up the phone, you grasped his arm tightly when he rushed over to you as you swayed about, the remnants of the drug still messing with your equilibrium.

"Ski masks? Chloroform? How very nineties. There's gotta be an easier way of doing this you know."

He chuckled as he helped you over to the chair in front of his desk, pouring you a glass of water from his drinks cabinet which you took gratefully, the ice-cold liquid helping clear the vile taste lingering at the back of your throat.

"I'm sure we can arrange something. Although you do seem to enjoy it, Charles is currently nursing a broken nose."

"Really? Yeeeessssss!"

You only just managed not to spill your drink as you punched the air, Haytham’s amused demeanour turning more serious as he retook his seat behind his desk.

"I shall let you off for that one, it was mildly entertaining. Now, London. Why is Achilles sending you?"

"Crawford is planning on selling arms. I'm being sent to help stop him." You said matter of factly, quite surprised that he didn't already know the reason for your mission.

"That impetuous idiot!" He roared, slamming his fist on the desk before rubbing his face with his other hand, making you jump in your seat slightly. "I'm sorry my dear. I never really cared for the man, far too rash and dramatic for my liking. Proven by doing something like this that brings far too much attention to our order. Very well, maybe this will teach him the lesson he so deserves. May I request just one thing?"

Aaaand there it is. You expected him to ask for something, but you had already prepared yourself to say no as there was absolutely not a chance in hell you were going to let who knows what type of weapons loose on the streets of London, regardless of how much he begged or pleaded. Just before you were about to tell him where to go on the matter, you raised your eyebrows when he got up from his desk and moved to stand behind you, resting his hands on your shoulders and squeezing softly.

"Of course I accept that you need to quell his gun running scheme, I agree wholeheartedly on that matter. But as for the money he would have been receiving for them? If you could possibly let me know where it would be kept, I would be eternally indebted to you."

You pushed his hand away when his fingers moved lower to part your shirt; so the mark he left on your chest was slightly revealed, definitely **not** in the mood for his flirting as you contemplated his request. Just the money would be okay, you supposed? At this moment in time you had zero idea where it would end up, so you begrudged making a promise that you couldn't keep.

"I'll try, depends on the circumstances. Who would I be contacting?"

"Shay of course my dear, you could travel with him? I'm assuming that everyone is still in the dark about his identity, if you could formulate some sort of plan it would make the outcome more favourable?"

Haytham immediately noticed you tensing up at the mention of Shays name, smirking to himself whist you still had your back towards him before adorning a look of worry as he stepped to your front and crouched down so he could look at your face.

"Is everything alright my dear? Did you and Shay have a disagreement? It was merely a suggestion, you don't have to.."

"No! It's fine." You blurted out through gritted teeth. "I just need to make some arrangements, I'll get on it straight away."

Haytham nodded as he extended his hands to help you up, resting his hand on the small of your back while he escorted you down the back stairs and out of the building, leaving you to contemplate how on earth you were going to be able to work with a man who you hoped you would never see again.


	8. Chapter 8

You stared at your phone that had the message on that you had typed several hours before, but couldn't bring yourself to hit send. After calling Connor and telling him that there were a few things you needed to sort out so you would meet him in London after he finished gathering all the information; much to his displeasure, you still had to sort out getting to London in time before you ended up in a world of hurt. Deleting the chaotic essay of a message you had previously written, you took a deep breath and opted for something simple instead, hitting send and continued staring while you waited for a reply.

_Hey, did you talk to your boss about the trip?_

Nearly dropping your Filofax on the floor when the infernal thing vibrated on the table; echoing throughout the room, you frowned when a single word lit up on the screen.

**Yes.**

_And?!_

**Meet me at the docks tomorrow. Pier 12. 6am. Don't be late.**

The docks?! 6am? Great, that probably meant you were going on some cruddy little boat and you were probably going to have to row to England or something. Texting back 'Ok' and throwing your phone back down; your frayed temper becoming worse after your brief conversation, you frowned and wondered how he dare have the nerve to be so blunt with you after what he did. Checking the time and flexing your fingers when you saw that you had seventeen hours to get everything sorted, you jumped up and grabbed your rucksack that you always kept by the front door, knowing that there was only one thing that could make you feel better at this moment in time.

The sweat was beading on your brow as you tried to control your breathing, taking one last fit of anger out on the punching bag in front of you. After grabbing your water bottle and taking several heavy gulps, you started to unwind the wraps from around your hands, stopping and spinning around when you heard someone clear their throat behind you.

"Leave them on (name), I still owe you that rematch remember."

"Desmond!" You squealed, laughing at his squirming when you threw your perspiring arms around him and squeezed tightly.

"Bad day? You sure were taking it out on that bag."

Shrugging your shoulders as you did your bindings back up, you climbed into the boxing ring and stretched out while you waited for him to sort himself out, turning to face the owner when he shouted from across the room.

"Oi! Gloves, headgear!... Oh it's you. Never mind."

Giving him a mock salute with a wry grin, you glanced around quickly when Desmond climbed in the ring with you to see that most of the people who had been working out had stopped what they were doing, and began gathering around to watch. Sure, you were one of only three girls that you had ever seen come to this particular gym, but you didn't understand why there were so many spectators.

"Fancied an audience did you?" You tittered, sliding your foot back and raising your arms in a defensive stance.

"Yeah... It's really me they came to watch. Ready?"

The second you nodded he came at you with an expected flurry of punches, mostly jabs and over arms which you managed to block easily. What you didn't anticipate however, was the split second sweep of his leg against your calf, taking your feet right from under you. Managing to throw yourself into a back flip before you hit the ground and land cleanly on your feet, you circled around him with a devious grin, knowing that you had a few tricks of your own that you could show him.

"Well, someone's been practicing! Becca show you that one?"

Charging at him when he playfully scowled, you suddenly feigned a punch and stopped about two foot away; grinning to yourself when his eyes widened as you spun around into a heel kick, connecting straight into his ribs and making him double over, breathless.

"Oh.. it's on..." He wheezed.

You let out a mild cackle when he finally composed himself and got in a ready stance once again, but you got momentarily distracted by the crowd who were now watching you avidly and starting to cheer at the fight. That was all he needed. You shrieked when he lunged out at you while you weren't paying attention, blocking too late and letting him catch your wrist, twisting it back painfully. You were forced to lean to the side to alleviate the discomfort, giving him the chance to kick your legs from underneath you again and send you spiralling to the floor with his hand still firmly around your wrist. More than annoyed with yourself at your distraction, a fresh wave of energy surged throughout you, giving you the opportunity to kick your legs up and balance on your shoulders, wrapping your legs around his waist and pull down; making him lurch forward into a forward roll and land on his back below you.

Seizing the moment, you attempted to pin him with your calves and get him into an arm bar, but he was faster than you had anticipated and managed to wriggle free of your hold and roll to the side, scurrying away and put some distance between you. The crowd were getting more rowdy and excited at the speed at which you and Desmond were fighting at as you engaged again, but both of you were getting annoyed that even at this rapid pace neither of you were getting the upper hand, or even managing to land a hit. Grinning when he manipulated his way through your defence and curled his arm around your lower back; his hand fumbling around slightly, you spun around and elbowed him in the chest, allowing you to slip out of his embrace and skip back into a more favourable position.

"You really think I'd not learnt my lesson from last time Desmond? Giving people wedgies so you can win is a low blow. Nothing there for you to do it with this time."

He shrugged his shoulders and winked at you cheekily, finally noticing that you had gotten new training gear that wouldn't give him a sneaky advantage this time.

"It worked didn't it? You never said it was against the rules."

Playfully scowling and deciding you'd had enough of a workout for the day, you took a step back before running at him full force, hoping that he would expect you to feign a punch like before and lower his guard to protect his mid section. He did. Your momentum allowed you to throw yourself into a front flip and push yourself hard from the floor when you were completely upside down, flinging you in the air high enough so your legs slid over his shoulders. The speed at which you did this caused him to fall backwards and crash straight to the mat, with you now sitting on his chest and his arms pinned between your bent legs.

"What the?!" He mumbled against your inner thigh, squirming when you licked your finger and stuck it straight into his ear.

"Give up?"

"Yes! Now get off me you cheat!"

The whole crowd erupted in laughter and some even began clapping as you got up and extended your hand to help him to his feet, chuckling as he wiped his ear on his shoulder.

"You deserved that. C'mon, lets get a smoothie, my treat."

Slumping down in the chair next to Desmond after handing him some berry extra whip concoction he'd ordered, you took a long swallow of your own before fiddling with the straw absentmindedly.

"So, I've heard you're seeing someone?'

You immediately stopped what you were doing and tensed up when you knew who he was on about, his cheeky grin falling away and replaced with a frown as he took in your agitated expression.

"Or not? I was gonna say I'm happy for you after being on your own all this time. What happened? You push another one away?"

"I did not!" you barked, your cheeks getting treacherously hotter than you wanted them to as you recalled your night out with Shay. "Sorry. Didn't mean to yell. Just didn't work out. How did you know? You weren't at the ball."

"Yeah work sucks, but someone had to man the fort while you lot were all getting wasted. It's better now that Altair’s back though. Apart the robbery that happened, you pair were the talk of the party, plus there was the photos, so kind of hard to miss really?"

Desmond sighed and shook his head as you looked at him quizzically, even though that Evie had mentioned something about photographs you hadn't actually seen anyone about taking them. He leant over and fumbled in his backpack a moment before pulling out his work tablet, flicking through his emails and handing it to you when he found the one he was looking for.

"Connor apparently wanted natural pictures of people, no posing, so they were hiding in the crowds. Can't believe you've not seen them yet, they sent them all out a couple of days ago so we could all choose which ones to keep."

You were paying no attention to what he was saying as you swiped through the god knows how many pictures that were on the screen, lingering on one or two that made you laugh or smile. There was one of Edward with a stupid grin plastered over his face, with his arms draped over two uneasy looking trainee girls whilst attempting to take a swig out of his bottle. There was another one you liked- of Henry kissing Evie's hands in trying to cheer her up, making her smile even though she was in a situation that she hated. You burst out laughing when you saw one of Ezio’s and Connors arm wrestle, Ezio’s face a thousand words as he was staring at the straining seams of Connors shirt, realising at that moment he was never going to be able to win against him.

And that's when you froze. The next was of you and Shay in the middle of the dance floor, your leg wrapped around his hip and gazing into each others eyes just as the music had started. Your stomach twisted in knots and your eyes began to sting as you stared at his expression before flicking through the remaining pictures of you slowly; of which there were many as it seemed they had taken a rather large interest in you, until you came to the last one in the folder. It was just after you had finished dancing, taken at the second he had leaned forward to kiss you. You swallowed hard to try and shift the lump in your throat as you handed Desmond back his tablet numbly, taking a deep breath when he rubbed your back gently in attempts of comforting you.

"Erm, dunno if you want to see it, but they managed to record it too?" He mumbled quietly, hovering his finger over another folder in his email.

You took a large gulp of your drink and shook your head softly, definitely not wanting to relive it as it already felt like your nerves had been stripped raw at this moment in time. You didn't know what to feel, your head, your heart and _other_ places all conflicting, and it confused the hell out of you.

"Where did you say he was from?"

Your eyes flickered up when your brain registered that he had spoke, clenching your jaw tight when you saw that he was still on his tablet but he was now scanning through some work document's, and the tone of his voice made it sound like an interrogation question.

"I met him when I was over in Russia... Why?" you asked hesitantly when he typed in something swiftly before dropping it back in his bag.

He raised his hands defensively and his eyes widened when he clicked on to what you were thinking, draping his arm around your shoulders and giving you a quick squeeze.

"I don't mean it like that! I'm not asking about him because of the theft, there's no point because knowing you, bet you already knew his full medical history, where he grew up and credit score before even talking to him!"

Breathing out slowly so it didn't look like you were relieved at what he had just said, you grinned sheepishly when that did sound like something you would probably have done, if you didn't know who he already was.

"Just thought, you know, I could pay him a little visit? Show him a thing or two for upsetting my friend?"

You tried to suppress a giggle at the thought of Desmond even attempting to take on Shay (who was, lets face it, nowhere near as well built as the Templar) but you failed miserably and ruffled his hair as he scowled at your amusement.

"Very sweet of you, but not necessary. I appreciate the offer though."

"Fine." he mumbled and pouted as he slumped back in his seat. "So c'mon, what actually happened then? From the looks of it you two were really hitting it off?"

Punching him in the arm a little too hard as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, you gathered up your things when you saw the time, hoping that you would manage to get all of your stuff together in time for yet _another_ mission overseas.

"Yeah, I thought so too, guess he just 'hit it off' better with someone else that night. Would you mind, um, emailing me those photos? There's a couple of funny ones I'd like to keep, and I could do with some entertainment on my trip."

"Ouch. That’s harsh. No problem, where you off to?"

Checking your phone to make sure the message had come through when he pulled out his tablet again; dropping it down on the table after a few deft taps of the screen, you stepped forwards and stretched out your arms when he got up to give you a hug goodbye.

"London. Yeah yeah, I know...."

 _"Rain"_ you both mumbled at the same time, making you both chuckle as you walked down the street in search of wherever you had parked your car.


	9. Chapter 9

_Ten... Eleven.... Twel..._

You stopped in your tracks and rubbed your eyes when you finally reached Pier Twelve, not quite believing what was in front of you. Not the run down little tug boat that you were expecting, but a _very_ expensive looking yacht. You guessed that it was some fifty metres long, the water reflecting off its black and white hull making it look like it was sparkling, and its five huge red sails fluttered gently in the breeze. Walking down a little further to check the signpost to make sure you were definitely in the right place, you leaned to the side to get a better look when you saw the name of the boat on the back in gold italic writing.

**The Morrigan**

The Irish goddess of war? Fairly fitting you supposed, given who it belonged to. Your eyes flickered over to the walkway when you spotted a tall, lithe man climb down the ladder and bound over to you with a wide grin, making you slightly perplexed as you didn't know that there was someone else coming along too.

"Ah, you must be (name)! Nice to finally meet you, I'm Christopher. Or Gist, eithers fine by me! I'll be going with you, I'm Shays best friend. He's down below making preparations to set sail, so I'll show you where you'll be staying."

Smiling wildly at his enthusiasm, you handed him your bag when he gestured for you to give it to him, following him aboard and over the top deck. You were more and more awestruck at each passing step, eyeing up the numerous sun loungers and Jacuzzi with a bar attached to the side as you were led down downstairs and through a warmly lit, long wooden panelled corridor, coming to a stop at a door on the right just before you got to the end. You could have literally scraped your jaw off the floor as you stepped into your room, wondering how the hell Shay could have possibly afforded something like this. Second thoughts, maybe you didn't want to know.

"Not bad hmm? I'll give you a few minutes to sort out your things, come back upstairs and I'll give you the grand tour ok?"

"Umm, oh-kay?" 

Gist chuckled and dropped your bag on your king size bed; patting you on the shoulder briefly whist you continued to stare wide eyed at your surroundings, before almost skipping out and closing the door behind him. The second you knew you were alone you squealed and jumped onto the soft mattress, sighing as you sunk into the soft pillow top. Propping yourself up on your elbows so you could look around better, your enthusiasm waned slightly when you remembered just who’s lavish abode this was. You were guessing that Haytham had ordered him to take you to London, so that would make life on board more uncomfortable than it already was, and your brow furrowed at the thought of having to make awkward conversation for however long this trip would take. Christopher seemed nice enough at least, so hopefully it wouldn't be too bad? Scooting yourself to the edge of the bed, you unzipped your bag and started taking out your clothes, scoffing when you realised that you were only going to end up using two out of the eight drawers, and less than a quarter of the large double wardrobe with your belongings.

After quickly flicking through almost every channel known to man on the 50" TV in your room and doing stupid echo voices in your obscenely large en suite bathroom, you made your way back up to the top deck to find Gist sat on one of the loungers with a laptop perched on his legs, checking the weather for the next few days. Your mouth formed todays favourite dropped position when you glanced over the rail to see Boston a mere speck in the distance, looking up to see the sails at full mast and bellowing in the wind.

"I didn't even know we had left, I didn't feel us move?"

Christopher grinned as he snapped the laptop shut and stood up next to you, grabbing your arm and linking it with his as he walked you to the other side of the deck.

"The Morrigan is a fine ship, as smooth as they come. The engine has been modified to more than double its original capacity, and with the sails, well lets just say there's none other that can match it, in either speed or manoeuvrability. I've been looking after her while Shays been shall we say, in hiding? The weather looks good for the next few days, so we should be in London in less than a week. Now how about that tour hmm?" 

Feeling slightly exhausted at trying to keep up with Gist’s rapid pace; both in walking _and_ talking, you leant on the wall as he opened yet another door to reveal the room to you, leaning forward to just poke your head inside.

"And this is the sauna. Good for relaxing after a hard days work."

A sauna?! A bloody sauna?? After seeing the Jacuzzi and bar up close, fully fitted kitchen, gym, two dining rooms, internal and external lounge areas, AND three of the other five bedrooms on board, you shouldn't have been surprised really, but you still were.

"What's next? Some secret lab hidden behind that wall? Oh god, there is, isn't there?!"

He laughed and winked at you as he closed the door and nudged you so you would carry on walking back up the deck towards the stairs, linking your arm through his in a way that you had become more than accustomed to over the past hour and a half.

"Unfortunately not, although thinking about it that actually wouldn't be a bad idea. We do have an armoury down below, but I'm assuming you brought your own weapons? The last place is the helm."

"Of course, a girls gotta have her own toys." 

You smirked as his eyebrows pretty much shot through the roof at your last comment.

You inadvertently tensed up as you climbed the steps to the uppermost deck, forcing yourself to relax when you realised you were squeezing Gist’s arm so hard. If he noticed your jerking reaction to where you were about to go, he obviously didn't care or chose to ignore it as he pretty much pushed you inside, making you stumble forward slightly as you entered the room.

"Last destination on our grand tour, the helm. I presume you have seen the forecast Shay? Clear sailing for the next week."

You stood there fidgeting with your cuff nervously whilst Shay and Christopher conversed about the voyage, unsure of what to say or do while you were in here so you settled on glancing at the numerous computers and instruments, of which you knew absolutely nothing about. Just as you were about to turn towards the door and make a sneaky exit while they were both distracted, Gist suddenly turned around and spotted you reaching for the handle; narrowing his eyes just ever so slightly, leaping towards you with amazing speed and blocking your only escape route out of the one place that you didn't want to be.

"I suppose I had better get on with checking downstairs, you will be alright finding your way back after you've done looking around dear?"

Before you even had a chance to argue, he pushed his way past you and left the room to leave you and Shay alone, making you test the handle when you heard it click as soon as it shut; scowling when it wouldn't budge as you attempted to turn it.

 _"Asshole"_ you muttered under your breath as you let your hand drop, deciding it was pointless trying again to get out. Gauging Shays tense posture out of the corner of your eye, you did the only thing that you could do whist stuck in here; attempt the dreaded small talk.

"Thanks for taking me. Nice yacht."

"No problem."

Shuffling to the other side of the room and staring out the window at the calm sea so you wouldn't get as riled up when he didn't even bother turning to you as he spoke, you wracked your brain to try and figure out why on earth _he_ would be acting this way when it was him that led you on, not the other way around. Coming up with absolutely nothing, you grit your teeth and took a deep breath, trying once more to engage him in some sort of conversation so you didn't have to avoid being in the same room as him the rest of the way.

"Christopher’s nice, he said that it would only take five or so days to get to London?"

"Yep."

 _That’s it!!_ Stamping your foot in anger at his one word answer, you stormed over to the door with every intention of ripping it off its hinges, suddenly very confused when you turned the handle and it opened straight away. Barging past Gist with a huff when he was coming back up the stairs, you ignored his startled expression and almost ran back down into your room, slamming the door shut with a resounding bang behind you.

**Shays POV**

"Well, she is a little firecracker! Pretty too, I can see why you like her Shay."

He didn't say anything at first when Gist came in and sat down in the seat next to him, glancing at him briefly and sighing when he saw that he was staring intently and waiting for an answer.

"Bit more than like mate, but that’s been thrown out the window. She's avoided me like the plague since that do, and I'll be damned if I can figure out why. She wouldn't be here now if Kenway hadn't asked her to, and I'm not chasing after her."

"Why not?"

"Because I ain't done nothing wrong! She's the one who blew me off, not the other way around. An don't be an arse and hold the door shut so she thinks it locked again." Shay growled through his teeth, not at all happy at Gist’s meddling but calmed down slightly when he raised his hands and shook his head in defeat.

"Fine, I was just trying to help. Maybe you should just ask her? There's obviously still something there, or you wouldn't be getting so worked up about it."

Shay stared at the radar and turned the wheel slightly when he saw that he had drifted few degrees off course, wishing that he hadn't said anything to him now. But as usual, Gist was spot on with his observations. He couldn't deny the sparks between you whenever you were around him, getting stronger every day since he had first laid eyes on you. Even just thinking about you made him forget all of the terrible things that he had done in his life, and that night at the ball? Well. That wasn't just flirting, and he actually believed for the first time that there could have been more between you. So much more. 

He thought maybe that he had gone too far, gotten his signals mixed up, but whenever he closed his eyes and remembered the way you were when you had been dancing together he knew that he hadn't. Your dilated pupils, the way you trembled every time he touched your body, not to mention the soft moans that passed your sweet lips that he longed to have morph into his name. And if that wasn't enough, the damp patch on his trousers after he pressed his leg between yours was a dead giveaway. You definitely wanted him as much as he wanted you, and judging from the whispers he'd overheard as he was pushing his way through the crowd to complete the mission, he wasn't the only one to think that. But since then you had completely rebuffed him, ignoring his messages and calls, not even bothering to let him know that you were alright after your assignment. And that hurt, more than he thought it would have done. It had been a very long time since he had let his guard down like that, with _anyone,_ but now it was back up in full force, refusing to let anyone in again.

"Well you're wrong, so stop interfering. She definitely didn't go back to the hotel?"

Christopher scoffed at Shay completely contradicting himself in a single sentence, shaking his head in reply as he silently plotted how to get you and his friend alone in the same room again.

"No. Although I _was_ busy for about an hour, but I would have noticed someone come in."

"Busy?! You didn't..."

Shay scowled at his so called best friend when he shrugged his shoulders and adorned a huge grin, winking slowly in not so subtly hinting on what he had gotten up to that night.

"You had some skank in my room?! Ya better not have been at it on my bed!"

"Well, I needed something to do to pass the time, and as you weren't able to come back I thought it would be a shame to let such a lovely piece of furniture like that go to waste."

"You dirty bastard." Shay grumbled under his breath. "I'm getting it burned as soon as we get back. Second thoughts, you take the wheel, I'm gonna call them right now."

Gist erupted in laughter as Shay got up and literally threw every single profanity in the book at him before stomping off to call the hotel, making some obscene hand gestures behind his back before making his way outside to get a better signal.

\------------------------------------------------

Taking off your jacket and throwing it on the sofa, you flopped down on the seat and rubbed your face briefly when it began to ache from frowning. Well what a great start. Not only would you have to spend the entire time avoiding someone- on a boat of all places, but you'd probably just annoyed the one person who would have made it at least tolerable being here. You completely regretted your decision coming here, but there was nothing you could do about it now. Finally getting your thumbprint to recognise so you could unlock your new 'Piece of crap phone' as you now dubbed it, you messaged Connor to tell him you would be in London by Wednesday at the latest; breathing a sigh of relief when he text back that he wouldn't be there until Thursday and to go straight to the Curio shop, not the Frye’s train as previously instructed. That was just fine with you, as you had actually planned on staying there anyway. Glancing around to try and find something to distract you for a while, you snapped your fingers when you remembered that there was a gym down the hall. Yanking open your drawers to find something suitable to wear; not thinking that you would need exercise clothing whilst you were away, you had to settle on what you had brought along to sleep in. Getting changed into your black tank top and _very_ short shorts, you grabbed a towel from the bathroom along with your phone and headphones, bringing up your relaxing yoga app as you left the room. 

Shay was pacing the deck whist he was put on hold yet again for making such an unorthodox request- he knew he was going over the top at what Christopher had done, but he really didn't care. Wiping his brow when a few spots of rain hit it, he ran down the stairs two at a time as he definitely wasn't in the mood to get wet, stopping at the bottom just as someone finally picked up his call.

"At last! Yes, I'd like to arrange gettin' my bed changed. No, there's nothing wrong with it as such...."

His voice trailed off as he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, pushing the door next to him open just a little bit more so he had a better view, but still not be seen.

"I'll call you back." He whispered, before hanging up his phone and almost dropping it as he watched you bend over to grab your ankles, quickly pressing his finger over his lips when Gist came bounding down the steps.

"We've moored in Portland so we can finish gathering supplies.... Oh my, what a splendid sight. I do love yoga."

Both men whimpered and cocked their heads in unison as you spread your legs to move into the downward dog position, but as you had your eyes closed and were concentrating on your breathing, you had no idea they were even there.

"Shay, if you're definitely not interested anymore..."

"Touch her and you're a dead man." He mumbled, not even close to joking.

Gist held back a chuckle and grabbed him by the arm to drag him away and back upstairs so they could get the extra fuel that they would need to get to London, also now making it a personal mission to find out just what happened between the two of you, even though Shay had specifically said he didn't want him getting involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone was wondering, this is the ship I based the Morrigan on 
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> Nice huh XD


	10. Chapter 10

Most of the trip wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be, Christopher proving to be excellent company in recounting his numerous travels and missions all over the world, some of which you had actually heard about before. Others, not so much. You quickly figured out that he tended to exaggerate slightly in his tales, especially when he told you of a time he single-handedly took down a pirate ship in the South China Sea, but you found it entertaining none the less. 

The only awkward time you had to suffer was when you had just gotten up and Shay was going to bed (it was his turn to take the night shift at the helm) and you crashed into each other walking down the corridor in your groggy states. You actually thought he was going to kiss you after he had caught you in his arms to stop you from falling, your cheeks getting treacherously warm as he stared into your eyes for a moment, but then he let you go quickly and mumbled something of an apology as he continued towards his room, leaving you somewhat of a fidgeting mess for the rest of the day. 

It was now late Tuesday afternoon, and you were laying on your bed, scrolling through your phone and reading the intel that Connor had managed to gather so far for your upcoming assignment. Even though you were playing both sides, you refused to be around the others whilst you were doing work for the assassins, not wanting them to see what was going on so they wouldn't be able to interfere with your plans. It hadn't taken you long to memorise what Connor had sent, and now you were bored out of your mind. There really wasn't much to do while you were here, the Tv and the gym getting mundane rather quickly. Rolling onto your front and propping yourself up on your elbows, you started playing some crossword game that Desmond had recommended to you some time ago, but it was incredibly easy so that became stale rapidly too. 

That's when you remembered the email that had been sent you just before you had left. There was undoubtedly some pictures that you wanted to keep, and even though you had them all on your phone it had been set up so prints and canvases could be ordered - Connor being the traditional and family oriented man that he is, and the deadline was tomorrow. Your eyes narrowed when you brought up the email and saw that there were two folders attached, one being the collection of photographs, the other being the video that you had explicitly said you didn't want to watch. Clicking your tongue and making a mental note to kick Desmond's ass again when you got back, you set to looking through the pictures, slower this time and saving any that you wanted to keep.

Your eyes were feeling heavy after about halfway through, the softness of the bed never failing to tempt you into a deep sleep. Still swiping through the pictures through half-lidded eyes, you let out a soft sigh and slowed down even further when you eventually came to the ones nearer the end. Your thumb hovered over the delete button when you got to the last, but you just couldn't bring yourself to do it. It had been an amazing night, and you had never felt that way before despite everything else that happened during it. Your eyes finally fell closed and your breathing slowed, right at the moment you decided that you didn't want to forget about it _just_ yet.

After the third time knocking, Gist opened your door slightly and called your name, wondering where you had got to. It wasn't like you to be late for dinner, so he thought it best to check and see if you were okay. Still not getting a reply, he shield his eyes with his hand and entered your room, (a lesson he had learnt quickly as the last time he did this you had just gotten out of the shower) and called your name again. Peeking slightly between his fingers, he dropped his hand when he spotted you on the bed, fast asleep with your arm almost dangling off the side. He crept towards you when he noticed that your phone was in your hand, usually, he wouldn't have touched your things; not wanting to invade your privacy, but he didn't want you dropping it and breaking if it hit the floor. Gently pinching the top of it, he slid it out from between your fingers, his eyes widening as the screen lit up with the last thing you were looking at as your thumb brushed over the fingerprint scanner.

The temptation was just too much to resist, so keeping one eye on you to check for signs of stirring, he flicked through the last couple of shots, a devious grin erupting the more he looked. Nimbly pressing back a few times, he forwarded the email to himself and deleted the evidence from your sent folder, returning it to where you had been looking and placed it gently next to you on the bed, leaving you none the wiser as he left you to sleep.

Stretching out and yawning when your eyes flickered open, you were quite surprised when you saw it was dark outside as you felt like you had only just fallen asleep. Your stomach grumbled in confirmation that it was indeed much later than you had realised, so you jumped off the bed and headed to the kitchen in search of food.

"Ah good evening! Sleep well?"

"Yeah, I'm not usually one for taking naps like that." You chuckled as you opened up the fridge and tried to decide on what you could eat with it taking as little effort as possible.

"It's the sea air, it has a tendency to do that. There's some chicken left if you'd like?"

Gist laughed as he watched you settle on cereal, shaking the box enthusiastically and pouring yourself a hefty bowl before sitting down at the table next to him. Only now just noticing that he was partly engrossed in working on his computer, you leaned over to see what he was doing as you carried on munching, almost choking on a mouthful when you saw he was typing out some sort of code.

"You're a hacker??"

He turned the computer so you could see it better without straining your neck, amusement creeping over his face as you continued staring wide-eyed while still spooning cereal absentmindedly.

"Not quite, although I do like to dabble from time to time. I am working on a way for you to be able to contact us about the location of the money, without anyone else knowing of course. If you call this number, it will direct you to a voicemail which I will be closely monitoring."

Wait. Your voice. Recorded?! The Assassins would find that in a heartbeat, even less if you called it from your own phone. Most assuredly NOT what you had in mind at all.

"Nope, no way, not a chance. You _trying_ to get me caught??"

He snatched the spoon out of your hand when you started poking him with it, grabbing your empty bowl off you and dropping it in the sink before fumbling in the drawer next to it and pulling out a prepaid phone.

"You should learn to be a little more trusting. If anyone else other than your number calls it, or even tries to look it up, the programme will kick in and redirect it to one of our dummy corporations. They won't be able to listen to or bring up the call either, I have put a heavy level of security on it to prevent that from happening. Here, try it out."

Eyeing him up suspiciously as you snatched the phone out of his hand, you keyed in the number that was on his laptop and gingerly held it up to your ear when it started ringing.

_"H.E.K Energies, how may I direct your call?"_

Hanging up as soon as a very high pitched sing-song voice rang in your ear, you dropped the phone on the table and drummed your fingers against it, still quite apprehensive about doing something that could be traced.

"We wouldn't do anything that would get you found out (name), you should realise by now. Your last mission was a success, was it not?"

Christopher re-joined you at the table after grabbing two bottles of beer out of the fridge and handing you one of them, looking rather perplexed when you scoffed and twisted the top off, rolling it in your fingers.

"Yeah, Shays part went just dandy. I however got stuck there for hours while everyone got searched after the alarms went off."

"I wasn't aware of that? I shall keep a closer eye on the voicemail, you can call it if you require assistance should something like that happen again. What time did you get home?"

Chewing your lip as you thought about it for a moment, you weren't actually sure what time Haytham had dropped you off. All you knew is that it was starting to get light out, and the wretched birds started pecking at your window the second you got in so you figured close to dawn.

"Dunno, half past four? Maybe five?"

"They kept you there for six hours?" He blurted, attempting to wipe the drip of beer off his chin with the back of his hand that he spilt in shock.

"Nah, got out about two? What's with the questions?" 

Getting up and grabbing a piece of paper towel when you saw he was struggling to clean up his beard, you wafted it in front of his face but pulled it away and held it out of his reach with a smirk when he went to take it, raising your eyebrows while you waited for an answer to your question.

"Are you always this suspicious when someone talks to you? I have no ulterior motive, surely you must know by now that I'm a very chatty person."

Rolling your eyes and chuckling as you finally let him have the towel, you sat back down and propped your legs up on the table, thinking 'chatty' was such a mild word for describing the man. 

"It comes with the territory, past experiences and all that. Usually, someone is after something."

"Well, I can promise you I'm not after anything, other than the pleasure of your company. So what happened after you got out?"

Resigning to the fact that you were going to get your ears talked off tonight, you thought you might as well get a more comfortable seat so you dragged him into the lounge and flopped down on the sofa, throwing the numerous cushions onto the floor so you could lay back.

"Fair enough. So where were we? Oh yeah, I went back to the Mandarin first." You paused for a moment and unintentionally stared up at the ceiling, glaring at the tiles. "Then I went to see a friend, to relieve some, _stress."_

You looked back down with your eyebrows raised and made little kissy noises, but you soon stopped and became quite concerned as you saw Gist had suddenly gone slightly pale.

"Hey, you okay? You don't look so good."

You leaned forward and laid your hand on his arm when he just stared out into the distance, his face going through a traffic light of colours- finally settling on a sickly shade of green. You gave him a little shake, which eventually snapped him out of whatever he was thinking about.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just remembered something I need to do. For the mission. I-I should go and do it now before I forget again. Good night."

You scrunched your face up as he pretty much leapt out of his seat and headed down the hallway to where his bedroom was, making you more than slightly perplexed. Did you say something wrong?! Shrugging your shoulders as you couldn't be bothered to think about it, you reached out and snatched the remote up off the coffee table and turned the Tv on, channel surfing until you found something to watch for the rest of the evening.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Standing under the awning when a massive clap of thunder rolled out through the black clouds overhead, you were quite impressed at the way Shay managed to ease the ship over the churning waters as he navigated his way through the Port of London. Grinning when you felt a hand on your shoulder, you turned around and took your bag from Gist, giving him a brief hug when he extended his arms.

"You feeling better now?"

"Quite okay little lass. We have a fair few things to do in London, but with our objectives coinciding we shall be here for as long as you are should you require passage back? You know how to get hold of me if you do, good luck my dear."

"You too!" You shouted as you leapt over the side and landed gracefully on the dock before the ship had even stopped moving.

You had quite enjoyed being in such luxurious surroundings, but now it was time for your assignment and you had to get your head in the game. Whistling loudly and waving your arm to call a black cab when you reached the front gates of the port, you jumped in quickly when the expected downpour started and gave the driver the address of Henry's place in Whitechapel.

Barging through the door of the Curio shop after hurling abuse at the taxi driver for trying to vastly overcharge you; thinking you wouldn't know any better as you had just come from the port, a huge grin washed over your face as Henry poked his head round from the back room.

"Here I am to save your butt again."

Henry chuckled as he walked over and draped his arm over your shoulders, rubbing the top of your head with his knuckles affectionately.

"As I recall, it was us saving you when blighters caught you stealing those schematics? I took the liberty of clearing out your old room for you."

"Hey, that was **not** my fault! Jacob could have woke the dead with the amount of noise he was making."

You both burst out laughing in agreement as you walked through the back and up the stairs, nostalgia kicking in as soon you got to your room. It was almost exactly as you had left it, apart from the added desk along the back wall between the two windows with a hefty amount of surveillance equipment and monitors on it. Various kukris and other blades adorned the walls, and even your long hooded coat was still hung up on the door of the single wardrobe. Dropping your bag on the bed, the corner of your mouth twitched as you trailed your fingers over the indents in the footboard, where you and Jacob had gotten up to some rather adventurous _activities_ after a bottle of tequila.

"Evie will be back soon, she's just finishing placing cameras in the vicinity of the warehouse that we suspect Starrick is hoarding his weapons. Tell me, how is it that you decided to stay here instead of at the hotel with Connor?"

Tugging your coat off the hangar, you pulled it on and did the buttons and belt up quickly, wafting your arms about and grinning when you found that it still fit perfectly.

"You're kidding, right? You know me, always have to be where the action is!"

Henry rolled his eyes when you pulled your hood up and admired yourself in the cracked mirror on the wardrobe door, quickly turning around when he heard stomping coming up the stairs.

"Oh Greeeeenie! You need to get hold of that bloke again, one of those cameras is a dud."

All three of you tensed up when Jacob barged into the room, staring at you blankly as for probably the first time in his life, he was lost for words.

"You didn't tell him I was coming??"

Henry lowered his eyes as you put your hands on your hips and glared at him harshly before slowly undoing your coat, hanging it back up and sitting on the edge of the bed wishing that somebody would say _something._ You sighed as you noticed that Jacob was attempting to look around for evidence of another person with you subtly, his gaze finally settling on the single holdall that was on the bed that you had brought with you.

"I came alone if that's what you were wondering, Connor will be here tomorrow."

"Eh? I wasn't wondering anything." 

Jacob chuckled as he finally found his voice, smirking to himself as if he were hiding some kind of secret. Shrugging your shoulders as if to say you didn't care when you got up, you poked Henry in his side quite hard which made him yelp before snatching the supposedly dud camera out of Jacobs hand.

"So what's wrong with it?"

"It. Does. Not. Work." He said mockingly, tapping his finger on it with every syllable.

Scowling and sticking your tongue out at him as you flipped it over and opened the compartment at the back, you grinned when you saw what was wrong with it as you now had some slight experience with these things after the ones you helped install at the homestead. Pulling your switchblade out of your jeans pocket, you set to undoing the tiny screw and releasing the wire inside, scraping off the extra piece of silicone that was blocking the power connection before fixing it back. Tossing it back to him and winking smugly before grabbing Henry's arm and encouraging him to come back downstairs; with every intention of giving him an earful for what he had done, you burst out laughing when Jacob stood there wide-eyed, his head moving rapidly to and fro between you and the device.


	11. Chapter 11

"Connor! Thank god you're here!"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise when you grabbed him and dragged him into the shop, kicking the door shut with a bang before hugging him tightly. You had been here one, ONE day, and already your nerves were starting to fray. It was bad enough that you had been tasked with setting up the surveillance equipment in your room and trying to get it to link up with the other site closer to the warehouse, but you had also had to deal with a **very** ill-tempered Jacob. Evie was on the verge of killing him after he had started a fight in the pub last night, bragging how he was going to 'kick some Templar ass very soon', so he had been put on house arrest as it were, forbidden to leave the Curio shop unless he behaved. Needless to say he hadn't taken it very well, stomping about and pouting at every opportunity.

"I hoped to be here sooner (name) but my flight got delayed. How have you fared so far?"

"Not terribly well..."

You were cut off by Jacob bounding down the stairs when he had heard someone come in, strolling up to Connor and punching him in the arm then comically pretending that he had broken his hand after his fist connected.

"Hey the big man's here! Now this party can really get started!"

Connor shot you a sympathetic look when your eyes pretty much rolled into the back of your head as Jacob jumped up on the counter and began annoyingly fiddling with his gauntlet, realising quickly why you looked so riled up. Thankfully you had an idea that would keep him busy for about half an hour, plenty of time for you and Connor to catch up and start making preparations.

"Oh Jaaaacob?" You purred, flashing him your sweetest smile when he looked up and instantly knew you were after something. "Would you mind popping to the coffee shop for us? I won't tell Evie you left."

"What, I'm your errand boy now?" He scoffed irritably and continued flicking out his blade.

"Not at all, you know you're the only one I trust to get my drink. You know _exactly_ how I like it."

His eyes widened when you leant in to whisper that last part to him, hoping to appeal to his ego to get what you wanted. It had obviously worked as when you moved back a salacious grin crept up his face and he jumped off the counter, grabbing his hat and running his hand through his hair before putting it on.

"Fine. You better not let my darling sister find out, I can't be dealing with any more of her nagging."

You mimicked zipping your mouth shut when he eagerly left, letting out a heavy sigh as you turned back to Connor who was chuckling softly.

"That was very clever of you (name). Shall we get started while we have no distractions?"

With Connors help you had managed to get all the cameras working and get it streaming to the safe house where Henry was also monitoring everything; as you had already agreed to take it in shifts, and you were now looking at street maps to plot a route to take the money plus the guns to a safe location. You were so engrossed in what you were doing that you hadn't even noticed the time, until a large takeaway cup was placed on the desk in front of you.

"One 'just how you like it' as requested, and one... I have no idea what this is? Compost maybe?"

You bit your lips together when Jacob passed Connor his drink, his grimaced face quite the picture indeed.

"Why does everybody feel the need to criticise my beverage choices?"

"Sweetie, it looks like mud. You're kinda asking for it." You giggled when Jacob imitated throwing up as Connor started drinking it with a shrug of his shoulders.

Turning back to the map and trailing your finger over the partially marked route outlined on it, you suddenly stopped and frowned when you couldn't find the expected intersection about a mile away from the warehouse.

"Jacob, is this an old map? Where's the bank?"

Raising your eyebrows when he poked his head between you and Connor; staring at the map blankly, you rolled it up and swatted him around the head with it when you realised that he was no longer in a foul mood, his usual mischievous attitude coming back full force as he feigned mock horror when he saw where you had pointed to.

"There _may_ have been some kind of explosion last year. So they demolished what was left and turned it into a one-way system?"

You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose as you slumped back in your chair, the entire second half of your planning now being rendered completely useless as there is no way you could use that route anymore, as it would take twice as long as you had initially predicted.

"Can I ask what caused the explosion? Or is that a stupid question?" Connor mumbled quite irritably as he eyed Jacob up when he stood there scratching his chin.

"It wasn't my fault! They were the ones who brought a stupid amount of C4 to rob the place, how was I to know?"

"Great. Just great. Well, back to square one then." You growled as you unrolled the map and prepared yourself for another tedious afternoon.

It took several hours to plan an alternate route for the mission, now that it had been completed Connor had gone to join Henry and Evie at the other site to share the rest of the intelligence he had gathered, leaving you bored to tears staring at the unchanging picture on the screen with your chin in your hands. You began flicking through the cameras absent-mindedly when you saw some kind of movement, but let out a huff and went back to the main picture when you saw it was another infernal pigeon.

"Oh someone's having fun then!"

Spinning around in your chair when you heard the usual heavy footsteps, you cocked your head when you saw that Jacob was more dishevelled than usual and slightly red-faced, wearing very unexpectedly, shorts and a hoodie.

"What have you been doing?"

"Eh? Told you I had a job now, I do boxing lessons at Toppings Gym."

"You? Teach?! Of all the things I expected, that would have been the very bottom of the list." You mumbled as you playfully wafted your hand in front of your face when he sat down next to you.

"Ha ha very funny. I remember you used to love it when I got all hot and sweaty. You should come down, I could show you a thing or two."

"I can fight perfectly well thank you very much." You pouted, narrowing your eyes at his attempted mockery.

"Those fancy-pants backflips? If you say so. Althoooough, it is a lot of fun watching you."

Turning back to the monitor quickly when he gave you a cheeky wink so he wouldn't see the smile threatening to creep up your face, you scowled when you were faced with another bird literally eyeballing you through the camera.

"Go. Away! Shoo!"

Jacob roared into laughter when you poked the screen with a hiss, almost falling off his chair in hysterics when you got up and grabbed Evie's sniper rifle that was on top of its case at the foot of your bed.

"Don't you think that's kind of excessive? You'll never make that shot." Jacob chuckled when he managed to calm down slightly, only to start up again when he saw you were actually going to go through with it as you slid a bullet into the chamber.

You threw him a maniacal grin as you pushed open the window and looked through the scope, turning the dial on the side and gauging the distance between you and the feathered rat.

"It's just over a mile away, easy shot. Besides, I'm not going to kill it, just scare it off."

"First round at the pub says you don't make it."

Slowing your breathing and balancing the barrel on the sill, your eyes flickered to the trees outside so you could adjust your aim for the slight breeze, the corner of your lips tugging up when you knew for sure you had your mark.

"Deal. Second brick down from the camera, you get to check."

Before he had a chance to reply, you firmly squeezed the trigger and a deafening bang rumbled through the air, everything outside going silent apart from the flock of birds swooping into the air in fear.

"Off you go then."

"Why me?" He grumbled as he got up and joined you at the window, squinting at the late afternoon sunshine.

"Well firstly I wouldn't want you accusing me of cheating now would I. Secondly, it's about to be rush hour traffic. You'll be much faster with your rope launcher."

Jacob sighed at your logic, knowing that it was pointless arguing when you had come up with half decent reasoning. Laying the gun down on your bed when he pouted and made his way downstairs and out into the street, you returned to the window and pushed it open a little further with a wide grin as you watched him shoot out his zip line, climbing up the building over the road with ease.

 

 

 

"Mmmm, why does beer always taste better when someone else buys it?" You giggled, smacking your lips after taking a sip when Jacob scowled at you.

"Yeah yeah, rub it in. You know that was pure luck."

You rolled your eyes with a smile as you relaxed back in your seat, stretching out before cocking your head when Jacob started tapping his fingers on the table. Noticing he was staring at a pamphlet that had been left on the edge, you snapped it up quickly and glanced over it, letting out a heavy sigh as you dropped it back down.

"If you start another fight tonight, I'm leaving you high and dry."

"What? Dunno what you're talking about."

Poking him in the arm when he tried to hold back a grin as he picked up the paper eagerly and unfolded it, you dug out your phone and messaged Connor, telling a _teeny_ white lie and saying that you were out with Jacob doing 'recon' tonight.

"I've covered us for a bit. If you win, we split the prize money."

"My my, since when did you become so devious? And what do you mean, if? There's no way I can lose."

Leaning over slightly so you could thoroughly read the rules and not just get snippets of it, a wide grin spread over your face when you knew he was right. Six rounds of Texas hold em poker starting at 8 pm tonight, a hundred pounds buy-in, the winner walks away with every penny. It was easy money really, Jacobs eagle vision allowing him to see all of his opponents' cards making any other outcome inconceivable. Before, you would have gone mad at him for even thinking about doing something like this, cheating and having an unfair advantage. But recently you had rethought a few things, and maybe you _should_ let your hair down once in a while. Plus almost all of your assets were back in Boston, so a little something to tide you over whilst you were here would help no end. Digging your purse out of your bag when Jacob sulked as he realised he didn't have enough money on him to be able to enter the game, you slapped the rest in his hand and began giggling when he jumped up enthusiastically towards the bar, finally starting to relax and feel a bit more at ease being here.

 

 

You faked nervousness as you glanced around the back room where the game had been set up, everyone else in here holding their breaths as the last hand was dealt. As expected Jacob was winning massively, the only opponent left having just a few chips in his hand. The other players that had been kicked out of the tournament had started grumbling something about him cheating somehow, but after a fifteen minute break and some lengthy searching of him, they had to be satisfied that he wasn't. You sighed when Jacob folded yet again, grimacing when you checked your watch and saw that it was nearly midnight. If he didn't finish this game up soon, you were going to have to make up an excuse for why you were late back to take over the surveillance, _not_ something you wanted to have to explain to Evie.

Jacob turned his head to the side when he heard you clear your throat, shrugging his shoulders as if to say _I know_ when he saw you tapping your wrist. The cards were dealt again, but this time, you noticed a slight crease in the corner of his eye. Extremely subtle as to not let on a tell, but just enough to let **you** know he had gotten a decent hand at last. The only problem this time was, his opponent (a rather gangly and sickly looking man) never even looked at his cards, just kept both palms on top of each other and firmly placed over them. Now Jacobs eagle vision was good, but not good enough to see through two limbs _and_ the backs of the cards. You gulped when the man threw his few remaining chips into the middle of the table, knowing full well what was coming next. As you guessed, Jacob being the arrogant ass that he is also went all in, making this the final play. 

The dealer purposefully turned over the first three cards painfully slowly; revealing the king and queen of clubs, then the ace of diamonds. Neither of the men moved an inch when the fourth was placed on the table, whispers and murmurs erupting when the ace of hearts was pulled next. Even you bit your lip in anticipation as you watched the dealer's hand move across the table in something resembling movie style slow motion, your eyes flickering to Jacobs face for any sign of whether he had won or not when the last card was the ace of clubs. But he showed nothing. Not even a glimmer. Never before had you been so nervous about a game like this, but as it was your money on the line too, you thought that he would have at least been a bit more careful with it. 

Your heart was beating furiously, and you were more than slightly annoyed when his rival finally showed his hand with a sly grin, a two of diamonds and.. the ace of spades. _Fuck!_ Sighing and resigning to the fact that you had lost; only a miracle able to beat a four of a kind, you suddenly jumped when Jacob slapped his hand on the table, stopping him from collecting the pot.

Everyone inched in closer when Jacob flicked over his first card and tossed it on the table - all but you as you caught his gaze and held it, your mouth curling into the same cocky grin as his when he gave you a slow wink and picked up his last card. You didn't even look at it when he placed it down next to the other one, for some reason you found yourself unable to pull away from his dancing eyes and jubilant expression. It was the sound of the man getting up and bursting out the door that finally dragged your attention away, making you chuckle when Jacob also got up and did several exaggerated bows to the rest of the room and boasting about his royal flush. Just as he was about to collect his winnings from the dealer, you froze to the spot when someone you knew caught your eye, stomping heavily and purposefully in your direction. 

Stood at over six foot tall and the size of a house, John the Tosser was a well-known gang leader around here, working for none other than the Templars. Your eyes narrowed when you spotted the man who had lost peeking from behind him, with an evil smirk plastered on his face.

"You morons! You let Assassins into the tournament??" John bellowed out as soon as he spotted you and Jacob, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

_"Oh."_

_"Shit."_


	12. Chapter 12

Having known Jacob for many years, one thing that you had learned was that whenever you were with him, you must **always** have an escape plan, regardless of where you were or what you were doing. This was the reason that when the game had started, you had strategically placed yourself in front of the rear exit, sneakily picking the lock behind your back while everyone else was focused on the table. The only problem now was, there were three very angry thugs between you and the only way out, and as you were the only one to have a weapon on you, (Jacobs gauntlet being far too noticeable to be worn down the pub) getting out was going to be no easy feat. Managing to catch Jacobs attention, you flickered your eyes to the door and back to him quickly, letting him silently know what you had done.

The second John and his now knowing flunkeys started to advance on you, Jacob grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it over, knocking two of the nearby men to the floor and giving you a chance to face the ones guarding the exit. One of them ran off when you flicked out your hidden blade; John screaming at him to come back as he engaged Jacob in a heavy fist fight, the two that were remaining hesitantly raising their arms as you approached them with a wicked grin.

"Eenie... Meeny... Miney..... Mo." You chuckled as you waggled your finger between them, leaping towards them both after you flipped your middle finger up too, so you were pointing at the pair of them.

You caught the fist of the one on the left as he struck out when you got close enough, pulling and spinning him around so that he crashed into his counterpart, knocking him out as his head smacked against the wall with a sickening thud. Your original target was a bit more resilient it seemed, as he clambered up quickly and lunged towards you again; pushing you back and nearly making you topple, completely ignoring your hidden blade pressing into the back of his wrist. Quickly glancing behind yourself as you were being shoved, you had an idea how you could kill two birds with one stone. Digging your heel into the floor to stop you going back any further, you held the man's arms tightly and allowed yourself to fall, using the momentum to draw your foot up to his stomach and send him flying over the top of you, making him collide with John and roll across the room. You grabbed hold of Jacobs' hand when he extended it to help you up, running through the exit quickly when the commotion had attracted nearly a dozen more gang members and they came bursting through the main door.

Snapping your blade back and running down the alleyway as fast as you could, you skidded to a halt as you came near the end; grabbing hold of the dumpster and pushing it as hard as you could away from the wall.

"What are you doing?! Bad guys. Trying to kill us. Remember?!"

"I know, I was there too!" You growled, pulling out the backpack that you had the foresight to stash here several hours ago.

Breaking out into a sprint again when you heard several voices drawing closer to where you were, you unzipped the bag and fumbled around in it for a moment, tossing Jacob his bracer with a smirk. He shot you a wry grin as he caught it and slid it over his arm, managing to fasten it by the time you had rounded the next corner. Without missing a beat, he wove his arm around your waist and shot out his zip line onto the nearest building, heaving you both up to the rooftops and further away from the horde of gang members that were still relentlessly chasing you. You stumbled slightly as you got to the top, grasping hold of his arm for a moment so you could regain proper footing again.

"Bit out of practice are we?" He smirked when you let go, peering over the side and waving at the men who now looked confused as to where you had gone.

"Oh shut up." 

You ducked down quickly when the sound of a bullet whizzed by you, Jacobs idiotic gestures having drawn the mobs attention up to where you were. Managing to leap over the rooftops and gain a fair bit of distance away from them, you both dropped down to a fire escape when you reached a derelict part of town, sliding down the ladder and testing numerous doors to try and find somewhere to hide.

"(Name) over here!"

Taking several deep breaths when you followed him into what you guessed used to be a nightclub, you peered through the almost blacked out windows when he quietly closed the door, looking for any signs that you had been spotted. 

"Anything?"

You shook your head when you saw nothing apparent, flicking your eyes to the side when Jacob moved to stand right behind you and rested his chin on your shoulder, peeking out of the same gap in the glass as you were.

"Looks like we lost them, just like old times hey?"

All you could do was hum softly in agreement, becoming slightly surprised but very confused when he draped his arms over your stomach and began nuzzling into your neck.

"What are you doing?" You whispered, your eyes fluttering almost shut when you felt his lips press against the sensitive pulse point on your throat.

"I know you said you're not coming back, I've accepted that now. Buuuuut, who says we can't have a little fun while you're here? Friends with, benefits maybe?"

Turning around in his arms slowly with your eyebrows raised at his proposition, you bit your lip when you realised he wasn't joking, wondering if you were both capable of such a thing. You were almost certain that you could, tucking your emotions away had become like second nature to you now, but after his reaction at the party, it gave you doubts. Not to mention that you would quite literally find yourself on the end of Evie's blade if she ever found out that you messed about with her brother. But on the other hand, you knew that it would be good; the sex having been the best part of your relationship, and you could definitely do with some _fun_ as he put it. Taking his hand that was still on your waist, you laced your fingers with his and kissed the back of it, hoping that he would be satisfied with your answer given the predicament you were in at this moment in time.

"Let me think about it? That's not a no."

You wiggled your eyebrows and trailed your other hand down his chest; just brushing over his groin when he went to pout, but your gesture made that bottom lip go away quickly and change into a positively sinful grin. 

"Come on, we better get back before they send a search party for us."

 

 

 

After a lengthy ear bashing from Henry for being half hour late to take the next shift on the surveillance, you dropped on your bed and kicked off your shoes while Jacob sat in front of the monitors, fumbling in his coat before draping it over the back of his chair.

"Here, your half."

"What? I thought you hadn't managed to take it?"

Grinning wildly when he threw over a large wad of notes in your direction before propping his legs up on the desk, you flicked through the money quickly before stashing it in a hidden pocket inside your mattress.

"You really think I would have let us go through all that for nothing? I'm insulted." He mumbled, waving his hand dismissively while continuing to stare at the ever unchanging monitor.

You sat there in silence for several minutes, swinging your legs whilst staring at the wall and still debating his proposal from earlier. Just as you came you a decision, you jumped up off the bed when you glanced over and saw that he had pulled his hat down over his face, arms crossed over his chest as if he was asleep. Creeping up beside him and ducking down to see if he was or not, you flicked his hat up and off his head when you couldn't see anything.

"Hey, wake up! If I've gotta stay up, you're keeping me company."

"I'm not asleep, just bored." 

You put your hands on your hips and glared at him for a moment when his eye opened just a fraction, a wanton smile creeping up your face when he quickly shut it again and wriggled to get more comfortable in his seat. Taking a step to the left so you were now stood directly behind him, you laid your hands on his shoulders and leaned forward, running your palms down his chest until your mouth was just a fraction away from his ear.

"There is one way we can make this night more entertaining." You whispered, softly biting on the shell of his ear and smirking when you felt him tense up underneath you.

His eyes snapped wide open and he turned his head to face you as you plucked open the top button of his shirt, dragging your nails back up and over his bare skin, making him shudder as he continued to stare at you.

"Thought you said you needed to think about it first?"

"I have..."

Before you had even finished speaking he had spun the chair so he could wrap his arms around you, tugging you down to sit on his lap and pushing up his hips eagerly so you could feel he was already getting hard at the thought.

"Just friends having fun, right?"

"Uh huh." Was the only thing he uttered as he curled his hand around your neck and pressed his lips against yours, kissing you hungrily while fumbling with the zip of your hoodie to get it undone.

You had to figure out a way to stop him for a moment when you felt his gauntlet scratching at your skin, so you seized his hand and ground yourself on him firmly, making him pull away from you and hiss at the sensation. He quickly realised what you wanted when you started fiddling with the buckles to get it undone, so he moved to your neck and began kissing a trail all the way down while he kept his hand still so you could continue. The second you managed to get the thing off and drop it to the floor, his hand shot back up to your chest and slid under the fabric of your tank top and bra, massaging your breast and rolling your already hard peak between his fingers.

Nudging his head with your cheek so you could capture his mouth again, you nibbled at his bottom lip and plunged your tongue in mouth, lashing it against his when he made that little whimper that never failed to send a tingle straight to your core. You giggled and grabbed ahold of his shoulder when you felt his hand drop to the top of your jeans and tug them open impatiently; lifting your hips so he could push them down along with your pants in desperate need to have you exposed to him, spreading your legs and twitching as he dragged his fingers up your inner thigh when you eventually kicked them off. A small moan erupted in your throat when he grazed a single digit over your folds, which he swallowed greedily as he continued with teasing strokes over your mound. 

"Has anyone been here since me?" He mumbled against your lips, a heavy blush rising up your face as he dipped his hand lower and subtly brushed his thumb over your rear.

You shook your head softly when he moved back up and continued with his caresses, testing how wet you were as he left a line of little pecks over your cheek. You had half expected him to ask for that given it was one of his favourite things to do, and you actually didn't mind it once in a while as you knew he would prepare you well enough so it wouldn't hurt. Pushing his hand lower and letting him know that you were okay with it, you let go of his shoulder and tried to carry on unbuttoning his shirt, failing quite spectacularly when he suddenly dipped a finger deep inside you and wiggled it about, making you throw your head back and groan. You were damp, but not at the level of slickness he wanted so he broke away from you with a salacious grin and slid his arms under your legs, lifting you and perching you on the edge of the desk.

"Lean back." He almost growled at you, your heart skipping a beat when he gave you _that_ look, letting you know you're about to be absolutely ravaged.

Quickly pushing the keyboard out of the way, you leaned back as far as you could go, the coldness of the monitor even through your clothing making your back erupt in goosebumps. You bit your lip when he sat back down and rolled the chair slightly forwards, placing your feet on the armrests, so every part of your nether regions was on display. You grabbed the edge of the desk to stop yourself from sliding forwards when he bent forward and ran his tongue along the juncture between your thighs and pelvis, teasingly brushing his lips up and down your thighs, getting closer to the delicate flesh between your legs each time. Your hand instinctively came up to grab his hair when he finally poked his tongue out, swiping a long wet lick all the from the bottom to your clit that had you writhing for more.

"S-stop teasing you git." You whimpered when he took your lower lips in his mouth, sucking on them gently.

You felt rather than heard him chuckle against you for a moment before he let you have what you wanted, returning to your nub and flicking his tongue repeatedly over it, swirling two fingers around your entrance before plunging them in you. Your grip tightened in his hair when he curled his fingers and started caressing your walls, your breathing becoming shallower when the speed of his tongue picked up a fraction, sending little pre-orgasmic waves rolling throughout you. You let out a short breathy cry and begin grinding against his mouth when he started sucking on your clit and you felt a trickle run down your crease, his fingers leaving you and grazing downwards to scoop up the mix of his saliva and your arousal. You willed your body into not tensing up when you felt his right hand probing at your rear, manipulating the tight muscle into relaxing before poking his finger inside you just a fraction. You didn't even feel a second one enter you until they began scissoring and gently twisting, his mouth that was alternating between sucks and laps making your impending climax more than enough to distract you from the burning ache of the stretching he was doing. You were gasping and gritting your teeth as you skimmed along the point of no return, your legs trembling violently as a wave of cascading bliss enveloped you and made you throw your head back and seize up, leaving you unable to make a sound apart from a sharp intake of air.

You were content to sit there for a moment in the depths of post-coital languor, not even paying attention to your surroundings until you heard the tearing of foil and the faint smell of rubber ticked your nose. You lolled your head forwards just as he finished preparing himself and stood up with a smug grin, taking your hands and pulling you up next to him. He slowly turned you around and placed your hands back down on the desk, pressing his chest firmly against you as he buried his face into your shoulder.

"Good?" He whispered in your ear, smirking when you turned your head and nodded, biting your lip coyly. You strained your neck and pressed your mouth against his firmly to stifle a sight whimper when you felt the tip of his shaft nudging between your cheeks, a heavy groan tearing from your throat as he slowly and carefully pushed forwards, filling your back passage with his length. 

You could hear him mumbling obscenities under his breath when you reached behind you and pulled on his leg to start him moving, the slight pain diminishing quickly and morphing into a more gratifying experience as he gently thrust into you. He increased his pace slightly when you began to softly moan as he filled you over and over again, each time you squeezed yourself around him on the in stroke, it made his fingers that had found their way to your hips dig in at the intensity that was beginning to swim throughout him. Although it felt nice, you knew you wouldn't orgasm again like this, so you snaked your hand between your legs and began circling your still swollen clit, closing your eyes and focusing on the tingling that was unfurling deep in your abdomen. Because you had not long climaxed you jumped close to your plateau quite quickly, but as much as you tried you just couldn't tip over the edge. Not even the sounds of him panting your name and his fingers raking your back; which would have usually added to your pleasure, gave you release. 

"J-Jacob.. I can't...I-I need.." You implored as you managed to turn yourself so you could look up at him, his dishevelled state only serving to make the tension inside you even worse.

"I've got you love."

In one swift movement he drew out of you and practically ripped the condom off of himself and sat down on the chair, pulling you down along with him and sliding his cock deep into your aching pussy as you landed on his lap. You let out a needy whimper when the position you were in allowed him to drive up into you forcefully, pushing you immediately to the verge again when he curled his left arm around you to continue the ministrations on your clit. You moaned desperately, clawing for release as your whole body began to shake with being held on the brink for so long. Just when you thought you couldn't take any more of the agonising throbbing inside you, he bit down on your neck and you yowled uncontrollably, back snapping up into an arch as several shudders tore through your body and you were finally rewarded with a frenzied climax. Your limbs continued to jerk when he never slowed his pace as you were coming down from your high, the sensations passing into unbearable pain quickly with each of his vigorous thrusts. 

One thing about Jacob that always impressed you was his longevity in the bedroom; both a blessing and a curse, and you had to do _something_ to get him to finish quickly as you felt like you were about to die of overstimulation. Timing it just right, you leant forwards when he pulled out, so he slipped out of you, and dropped to your knees in between his legs. You immediately plunged your mouth over him, wrapping your hand around the base and pumping him in time with the movements of your head. You gazed up as you swirled your tongue around his tip, your eyes smiling when you saw that his face was twisted in a mix of surprise and carnal desire as he watched you lick your own essence off him. He gripped the armrests hard enough to turn his knuckles white and his legs tensed up when you enveloped your hot mouth around him again and sucked harder, your other hand drawing up to caress and fondle his sack which you knew would be the key to his undoing. You were prepared for the explosion of his hot sticky come when he began to twitch and you could feel a pulsing against your tongue, swallowing everything he gave you when he groaned loudly and bucked up his hips, emptying himself down the back of your throat.

You licked a drip that you missed off your finger with a giggle when he slumped back in the chair with a silly grin on his face, using his legs as leverage to help you get up off of the floor so you could lean in and kiss his cheek.

"All three holes and it's not even my birthday?" He mumbled contentedly through his now slowing breaths, chuckling when you stuck your tongue out at him for his crass remark, before beginning the hunt for the rest of your discarded clothes.


	13. Chapter 13

You had been here over a week now, and you were starting to become impatient at there being absolutely no sign of any activity around the warehouse. Connor had been reaching out to his contacts here in hopes they would have even a scrap of information on a timeline for the deal, but they had all come back to him empty-handed. Even Jacob who had been prancing about rather cheerfully for the past few days (forcing you to lie out of your ass when everyone started bombarding _you_ with questions as to why he was in such a good mood) had begun to become surly with the lack of action as he put it. In hopes of boosting everyone's morale, Henry in his world of wisdom had decided to cook one of his legendary dinners tonight, and you had been tasked with fetching the obscenely long list of ingredients from the market.

Squinting to try and decipher the man's ridiculously swirly handwriting for the next thing he required, you gave up with an exasperated sigh and handed the slip of paper to the spice vendor, hoping that he could figure out what you needed. While you waited as he began spooning some kind of yellow powder into a bag, the tingly feeling at the back of neck erupted and your eyebrows raised when you spotted Gist at another stall, directly behind the one you were at. He had followed you it seemed, as when you caught his eye he tilted his head in a subtle gesture to the right, confusing you at what he could possibly want. Paying for your purchases and stuffing them in your backpack, you continued to walk down the narrow pathway between the stalls, keeping your gaze on him out of the corner of your eye as he followed his own route to the end. Just as you reached his position, he took an abrupt left turn and stumbled, crashing into you and almost sending you flying. Usually, you would have been annoyed at someone doing something like this, but as soon as you felt a slight pull at your coat pocket, you knew there had to be a good reason for him to approach you this way.

"So dreadfully sorry miss, how clumsy of me. Are you alright?"

You waved your hand dismissively at his unnecessary gesture and pulled your bag back up on your shoulder, walking briskly away towards the side streets eagerly to find out what he slipped into your jacket. As soon as you were alone and convinced that no-one could see you, you closed your hand around the contents of pocket and slowly pulled it out, quite surprised to see an earbud in your hand. You hissed when the whistle of interference screeched in your ear for a second as you put it in, pretending to look for something in your bag when a couple strolled past you leisurely as you were now on high alert.

**"Can you hear me?"**

"Yes, very subtle Christopher." You whispered mockingly, but it was completely lost on him through the transmission. "What's the matter? I haven't got long."

**"I know, I'll be quick. I have no idea where you got your intelligence from, but I can assure you it's wrong. Starrick is not at the warehouse that you have been watching."**

You literally felt the colour drain from your face as he spoke, staring into space as you contemplated just how on earth such a grave error could have been made. 

**"(Name) are you still there?"**

"I'm here. How did you?.... Actually, it doesn't matter. _Where_ is he if he's not at the location we've been told?"

**"Just over the river from where we docked. In Southwark, Butlers Wharf. You need to hurry, the deal is happening tomorrow night."**

Breaking out into a sprint back towards the curio shop; narrowly missing several cyclists who were on the pavement, you tugged out your phone and sent a mass message to all of your colleagues, telling them all to meet you at Henry's as soon as humanly possible.

"Gist. Thank you."

**"Not a problem dear. Arms should never be sold onto the streets, especially when they could find their way into the hands of children and it's easier for you to stop him than us. One other thing...."**

"What?" You panted, encouraging him to hurry up with whatever he was going to say when he just trailed off.

**"Nothing, we can talk about it another time. You're nearly back, so I'll say goodbye for now. Good luck."**

It was not lost on you that you were an Assassin working for the Templars, who were helping the Assassins, stop a Templar. You would have laughed if it had not been so ironic. Pulling the earbud out and slipping it into your jeans, you glanced around briefly when you realised that he knew exactly where you were at that moment in time, actually chuckling and picking up your pace when you saw a drone fly off into the distance. _Men and their toys..._

 

You were met with four gawking expressions when you burst through the door of the Curio shop, two of them turning into glaring as Jacob rushed over and rubbed your back when you held on to the counter, trying to slow your breathing so you could speak.

"We... were wrong... Starrick. Wrong.... warehouse.." You puffed, grabbing a map off the side and unrolling it in front of Connor.

"What?! Are you sure? How did you come across this information? I was certain that the intel I received was correct."

"Someone must have paid your contacts off to feed you lies. I still know one or two people around here, trust me, I'm right. And I've been told it's happening tomorrow night, so we've gotta act fast. That's where he is."

Everyone leant over to see where you were pointing at on the map, slightly bewildered before immediately scrambling to gather the equipment that you would need to relocate, all silently hoping that you weren't too late.

 

 

Peering over the side of the Tower Bridge, you picked up the camera and zoomed in when you saw another van stop outside the warehouse, watching several quite heavily armed men with red shirts get out.

"That's four in the past hour. What on earth are they doing?" You whispered to Evie as you passed her the camera so she could take more photo's if she needed.

"I have no idea (name), but it's big whatever it is. It seems that you were correct after all. Now, where is that idiotic brother of mine?" 

At that exact moment as if he had been waiting to do a dramatic entrance, Jacob dropped down from the ledge above and sauntered over to where you were, leaning on the edge of the rail casually and staring out into the distance.

"You rang?"

"At last. You need to follow that van when it leaves, find out where they're bringing those crates from. Do you think you can manage that? Do stay out of sight, the last thing we need is somebody spotting you."

A devious grin crept up his face when he saw the men re-emerge from the warehouse and get back in the truck, cracking his knuckles and rubbing his hands together now that he had actually got something to entertain himself with for a while.

"Of coooourse. I am the night....."

_"Jacob, no."_

"I am. Batman." He growled mischievously.

Both you and Evie slapped your foreheads at the same time, dragging your hands down your faces as Jacob let out a 'Mwa ha ha' and shot his zip line to the factory next to the bridge, swinging out of sight.

"You're sleeping with him again."

You slowly turned your head to Evie as she just came out with that matter of factly; your eyes as wide as saucers and panic consuming every fibre of your being when you saw that she was staring at you, her face completely void of expression. 

"Evie... we're not.."

Trailing off when she just raised her hand and turned her attention back to the warehouse when yet another van pulled up, you racked your brain in the several moments of uncomfortable silence in trying to figure out how she could have possibly found out about what happened between you and Jacob last week.

"That was not a question, so I'm not expecting an answer. Don't even think I've not noticed the way he's been acting around you. I am only going to say one thing. Break his heart, and I break you. Is that understood?"

You nodded somberly at her ultimatum, not even for a second doubting everything she had just said. In the middle of cursing yourself for getting in a predicament that you had hoped to avoid entirely, you jumped when a hand lay on your shoulder; turning around to see Connor carrying a large black case.

"Are you okay (name)? You seem disturbed."

"Er yeah, I'm fine." You blurted, clearing your throat before you adorned a face-splitting grin when you realised what he had brought with him. "Is that what I think it is?!"

Crouching down beside him when he took a knee and lay the case on the floor; undoing the clips enthusiastically, you couldn't help but gaze in envy at the newest addition to his collection. You trailed your fingers over the smoothness of the recurve bow, plucking the string gently before tugging out a small leather clad box and shaking it gingerly. You moved out of his way when he pulled the bow out along with several untipped arrows, taking the box off you and flipping it open to reveal what looked like miniature cameras attached to a vast array of tips.

"I had to call in a few favours to get these, but given our circumstances, I believe it to be worthwhile."

Both you and Evie watched Connor admirably as he assembled six of the arrows and lay five of them neatly on top of the rail, knocking the last and taking aim at the top of the building next to the warehouse.

"Connor, wait!" Evie hollered when she suddenly spotted something that made her face twist up in loathing. You looked out into the distance to where she was pointing, seeing a well dressed red-haired woman, carrying a briefcase and yelling at a short, stocky man who looked to be some kind of doctor. 

"Lucy Thorne. I _must_ find out what's in that briefcase, I'll meet you back at the train."

You stood there at a loss for words when she jumped down the side of the bridge and onto the street without a moment's hesitation as a town car pulled up beside the woman, then turned to face Connor who had the same bewildered expression as you. Shrugging your shoulders and turning your attention back to the warehouse, you nudged Connor with your elbow when you saw that everyone had left and he could carry on placing the new cameras. It only took him a few seconds to get the whole street entirely under watch, firing the arrows rapidly with deadly accuracy before anyone came back and noticed something whizzing through the air.

"Pleeeease teach me how to use one of those? I'm a good student, promise."

Connor chuckled when you made grabby hands at his bow as he began packing it away, passing you a small remote type contraption which you stared at quizzically while he adjusted the strap so he could carry the case over his shoulder.

"I am surprised that you don't already know, I will happily show you when we return home. Fix that somewhere safe, it will transmit the signals back to the Frye's train."

You let out a little excited squeal and threw your arms around him briefly before hunting around for somewhere decent to hide the black box, snapping your fingers when you spotted an ideal nook in between the rails. Skipping back over and linking your arm through his with a huge grin, he tutted and frowned at you when you cursed out loud as the unmistakable sound of a steam train came from your left.

"Shit! Oops, sorry. Come on, I don't fancy running around London chasing the thing!"

You made it to the tracks just in time; the driver had apparently been told you were coming as he had slowed down significantly considering he was in between stations. Grabbing Connors extended hand after he had jumped up first, you made your way into the middle carriage; inhaling deeply and smiling when the familiar smell of gunpowder and old books tickled your nose. Other than the couple of laptops that were on the desk and a few boxes stacked up in the corner, it was just how you remembered it. Your reminiscing was suddenly cut short when two heavy thuds echoed out from above, followed by some very loud arguing. Evie was the first to barge through the door with a resounding bang, making you and Connor wince when Jacob came in straight after and continued with the quarrel.

"Please tell me, dear sister, how is it MY fault you lost Thorne?!"

"You know _exactly_ how!" Evie growled as she stormed over to him and poked him in the chest forcefully. "Always getting in the way, your incessant need to be in the middle of everything! You always let your personal feelings compromise our missions!"

"Excuuuse me?!"

You looked up at Connor again when Evie stared at you pointedly, seeing he was to trying to get a word in edgeways for probably the third time since the twins came in, pursing your lips together and sighing when you could see that he was getting riled up at the bickering. You couldn't hold back the giggle that erupted when he suddenly pulled out his tactical tomahawk from his belt and slammed it into the desk; taking a rather hefty chunk out of it, making the siblings instantly clam up and stare at him wide-eyed.

"Enough! We have more important things to be doing than arguing over something so frivolous! No better than children the pair of you, I suggest that the matter is dropped so we can carry on with our preparations."

Both Evie and Jacob nodded shamefacedly before giving each other one last death stare, Connor dragging her off to the other side of the carriage and leaving Jacob with you.

"Well, now that I definitely didn't miss. So what happened?"

"Oh, nothing much, just Evie blaming me for her mistakes!"

You elbowed him hard in the ribs when he said that last bit purposefully louder, making him grimace from both the pain that you had caused him and the seething expression from Connor.

"You know that's not what I meant, I've never gotten involved in your arguments, you know that. The crates, where are they coming from?"

Standing there with your hands on your hips irritably as he flopped down on the sofa and put his feet up, you lashed out and knocked his hat off his head when he pulled it down over his eyes without answering you.

"Oi! Don't you start, I've had enough of women harassing me for one night thank you."

You rubbed your face when he picked his hat up off the floor and exaggerated brushing it off before placing it back over his eyes, then tapped your finger on your bottom lip when you knew you weren't going to get anywhere like this, so as usual, you had to come up with some other way of coercing what you needed out of him. Glancing over your shoulder to see Evie and Connor with their backs to you and deep in conversation about some documents on the desk in front of them, you gracefully sat down on top of Jacobs' legs, shuffling about slightly and leaning over close enough so he could hear your whispers.

"You've never been able to hold back from me, what makes you think you can start now?"

A sly smirk crept up your face when you could see him biting the insides of his cheeks to stop himself from grinning, so you decided to push things just that little further, knowing it wouldn't take much more to get him to break. Putting all your weight on the balls of your feet, you slid yourself up him a bit more so you were sat straight on his groin and wiggled your lower half suggestively, which made him lightly groan and grab your hips firmly.

"Fine! Bloody tease. They're coming from further down the docks, there's a whole shipping container full of them, way more than we thought. Was tempted to take a look but I couldn't be bothered."

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" You chuckled as you pried his hands from around you so you could get up and tell Connor this information, then scowled when he silently imitated what you just said tauntingly.

Leaning around Connor so you could see at the blueprints he was looking at on the desk, you chewed at your bottom lip when you realised that this mission was not going to be as easy as you initially thought.

"Jacob said that there are more of those crates than we expected, It's gonna be hard to get them all."

"Did he now?" Evie grumbled, scoffing when she looked over to see him on the sofa half asleep.

"Well before I was **interrupted** earlier, I overheard when the deal is going to be made. We shall have to split into two groups to start, Henry will stay here on surveillance. You can take _him_ with you to the warehouse, Connor and I will start at the docks, then make our way down to you."

Shrugging your shoulders when that was fine by you; actually preferring being paired with Jacob as you would both go off and do your own thing, you nodded when you saw she was still staring at you, waiting for an answer.

"Then it's sorted. Eight o'clock tomorrow night is when we will make our move."


	14. Chapter 14

Christopher was sitting at the outside dining area aboard the Morrigan, tapping his fingers together absent-mindedly as he wondered how he could dig himself out of the mess he had gotten himself into. He knew Shay would be none too happy if he found out what he had done; especially with him still being annoyed at his earlier antics, so he had to figure out a way to fix things without dropping himself in it. The first step was getting Shay to admit that he still had feelings for you, and he already had a plan in mind to do exactly that. He leant over the table and pulled his laptop in front him, glancing around briefly before opening up his emails.

A sly grin crept up his face when he heard Shay coming down the steps from the helm, at the very moment he clicked on one of the photographs he had sent himself from your phone. As soon as Shay was only a few feet away from where he was he tilted the screen downwards; so that he couldn't see what was on the display, but not far enough so the computer shut itself off. Shay's eyes narrowed as Gist flashed him a supposedly innocent grin, but after years of being friends, he always knew when he was up to something.

"What ya got there?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing important. I informed (name) yesterday of the correct location that Starrick is going be at, so everything seems to be going to plan. All that's left to do is wait, so I'm going to take the opportunity to go to the yards and finish gathering a few things from our storehouse."

Shay shrugged his shoulders and sat down on one of the loungers as Gist got up and headed down the deck to go and run his errands; watching him out of the corner of his eye until he was out of view. The second he was sure he had gone he jumped up and headed over to the table to where the laptop was still sat, stopping just as the portable phone on the wall rang as he reached it. He let out a huff and snatched the receiver up harshly, wincing when a nasally voice blared into his ear.

_"I have Pearl Attaway on the line for Mister Gist, please hold."_

**"Stupid girl, I asked for those hours ag... Ah! Mister Gist, you daaarling man, how are you?"**

"This isn't Gist. He's not here. I'm his... assistant? Ya can talk to me an I'll pass on a message." Shay grumbled, rolling his eyes when she tutted annoyingly.

He zoned out when she began waffling on about how nice it was that Gist had gotten _'help'_ because he was  _such_  a busy man, spouting out the odd 'Uh huh' and 'Yep' as he turned his attention back to the computer. He sat down slowly as he opened it back up; eyes wide and inhaling sharply when he saw you and himself on the screen, his hand trembling and fumbling as he reached for the arrow keys so he could look at more when he noticed the thumbnails of the other pictures at the bottom.

 

Christopher peered around the corner after a few moments hiding in the corridor, letting out a heavy sigh when he saw Shay sat at the table. One look at his face he knew he had to man up and confess, regardless of the earful he was going to get for it. Usually, he wouldn't care less about thing's like this or even consider sticking his nose in - the term 'bros before hoes' coming to mind, but he had  _never_  seen his best friend act like this about a woman before, the very reason he had decided not to pursue you for himself. Sure, Shay had indulged in one or two flings over the past decade that he had known him, but as soon as he'd seen him just before the last mission, he knew this was different. He had seemed, _captivated,_ which was very out of character when he talked about you - he'd actually even go as far as to say he was besotted with the way he was behaving, and if anyone deserved something good to happen for once in their lives, it was his closest friend. Taking a deep breath and slowly walking back up the deck, Gist swallowed hard and cleared his throat when Shay hung up the phone, throwing it down on the table while still staring at the laptop.

"Shay, there's something I need to tell you..." He mumbled, cutting short when he didn't even look up at him, instead his face contorted into a rather worried frown. "What's the matter? Who was on the phone?"

"That was Pearl Attaway. Thorne spotted the assassins scoutin' last night, and she wants you to round-up some more muscle an send them over. To set a trap."

"What?! I will do no such thing! The odds are stacked against them as it is, without me sending in another crew."

Shay slumped forwards and drummed his fingers on the computer thoughtfully, after a few moments suddenly jumping up with a look of determination when he had an idea that just might work.

"Yes, ya will mate. We can't have them knowing that we're involved in this. I-I've gotta go."

Gist just stood there dumbfounded when Shay took one more yearning look at the screen before grabbing the phone back up and running off across the deck, heading down below towards the hold.

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

You spun around to face the door when you heard a soft knock on it, smiling wildly when you saw Henry poke his head around looking quite frazzled.

"Are you ready (name)?"

Quickly sliding a dagger into your leather thigh holster and a small firearm into your boot, you paused for a moment when you spotted your coat still hanging up out of the corner of your eye. Shrugging off your hoodie and throwing it on the bed, you plucked the hanger off the wardrobe and slid the garment on quickly, now feeling like you could take on an army by yourself.

"Just give me a second... Yep, now I'm ready." You chuckled as you finished fiddling with the buttons and fixing the cuff, so it fit better around your hidden blade. "Oh Henry don't look so worried, everything will be fine!"

You bounded down the steps two at a time with him faking a smile and following close behind, almost falling to the floor when he crashed into you as you abruptly stopped and stared out into the street. You had expected the Land Rover parked outside with Connor sat in the driver's seat and Evie next to him, but _not_ the two motorbikes just in front of it with a beaming Jacob leaning up against one of them.

"Couldn't find anything more subtle?" You sneered when he passed you a helmet and pulled his own on, peeking at you when he slightly lifted his visor.

"What? You know you want to. Just in case we need a quick getaway."

Cocking your head to and fro; thinking it was actually a good idea given his track record on missions, you tugged on the helmet and slid on the bike in front of you, turning on the ignition and grinning when you gave it a couple of quick revs. You rolled your eyes when Jacob sped off down the street with a screech of his tyre's without waiting for the rest of you, quickly kicking into gear so you could catch him up before he could do anything _too_ reckless that would jeopardise the night ahead.

After some clever dodging and weaving through the evening traffic you had finally managed to catch him up, parking down an alleyway and out of sight a few streets away from the warehouse.

"So... Are we doing this alone or....?" You mumbled, flicking your eyes about for any signs of others joining you.

Jacob flashed you his trademark grin when he knew what you were getting at, propping his helmet on the handlebars of his bike and tugging his phone out of his pocket eagerly.

"Pffft. My Rooks are ready and raring to go. Got my best on speed dial, they'll be here if we need them."

Catching his arm and dragging him along as you made your way to the building in front of you; using your hidden blade to pry open the main door, you pulled out your own phone to bring up the surveillance feeds that Connor had placed the evening before as you made your way up to the second floor, stopping at the communal stairs window. You frowned as you flicked through the shots, only spotting two guards on patrol which made slight apprehension ball in the pit of your stomach. It was too quiet around here considering there were so many thugs parading about before, but you pushed the unnerving feeling aside and hoped that it was just luck on your side for a change.

"Right. In, take out the bad guys, get the guns, steal the money, leave. As quick as humanly possible."

"What, no plan?" He jeered, pushing the window open as far as it would go so that he had a better view of the warehouse.

"What's the point in having a plan? You would never stick to it anyway."

You scoffed when he just stood there silently staring out the window; not exactly disagreeing with you, your attention being torn away when you saw two dark cars pull up outside and nearly a dozen blighter's clambering out, making you feel more at ease now the **expected** rabble had turned up with London's Grand Master following shortly afterwards.

"Starrick," Jacob growled, leaping up to perch himself on the window ledge and raising his arm in readiness to chase after him.

"Jacob! No!" 

Reaching out quickly to grab him and pull him back inside, you wheezed when your ribs collided with the sill and knocked the breath out of you, your hand grasping at nothing but air when you were too late, and he had already shot out his rope launcher, swinging himself down to the ground at the same moment the shutter door banged shut behind the Templars.

"Of all the stupid, idiotic, brainless..." You grumbled to yourself as you stomped your way back down the stairs, throwing a few extra expletives in there for good measure.

You hadn't even made it to where Jacob had landed before you heard several gunshots and yelling come from inside, forcing you to hide behind the wall of the adjacent building when the side door burst open, and a flurry of red came tumbling out of it. Peering around the corner and seeing that the coast was clear, you quickly ran into the warehouse to find out what kind of mess Jacob had caused and, climbed to the top of a stack of nearby crates when you saw him engaged in a fight with Crawford and three rival gang members dressed in blue.

Even though you knew Jacob could hold his own against all of them, you had to wrap this up quickly before the police (or even worse, Evie and Connor) got here, so you ducked down and pulled the gun out of your boot, taking aim and cackling to yourself when you shot one of the gang members straight in the meat of his rear; making him fall to the ground squealing like a pig and roll about in agony. You jumped down when you saw that Starrick had spotted you, immediately turning on his heel and running to the back of the warehouse in an attempt to flee out of what you guessed to be another exit hidden behind some plastic covered fencing.

"You get these. I've got Starrick!" You yelled to Jacob as you flew past him in pursuit of the Templar, looking around furiously when you couldn't see him anywhere when you got outside.

You rubbed the back of your neck briefly when the tiny hair's stood to attention, blinking rapidly when you were _sure_ you spied a glimmer of a shadow disappears over the rooftops, but as it happened so quickly, you assumed it was just the street lights playing tricks on you. You had little time to contemplate it when you heard a crash from your left, continuing your chase when you saw Crawford trip up over a rubbish bin further down the alley. Even though he had a head start on you, you managed to close enough of the distance to keep him in your sights with relative ease, leaping over the several dumpsters and other obstacles he pulled in your way in striving to slow you down.

Grinding to a halt when he stumbled up a few steps and barged through a security door into another storehouse at the end of the wharf, you took a moment to catch your breath as you knew you'd be able to capture him much easier now that he had gone inside. You pulled out your dagger and slowly made your way inside, squinting in attempts to get your eyes to adjust to the dimly lit corridor as you followed it around several bends until you came to the central storage part of the unit. Avoiding the random small crates that were scattered about and inching forwards to the open area in the middle of the room so you could see around the temporary shelving, you flinched and covered your eyes when the fluorescent lights overhead suddenly flickered on; obscuring your sight when purple and green spots danced behind your lids.

Thankfully it didn't take long for your vision to clear; able to see again by the time you heard a deep rumbling laugh coming from the gangway above you, gritting your teeth when you saw Starrick lean against the rail and clap his hands in a slow and taunting fashion.

"You have foiled my plans for the last time Assassin. Give my regards to the Frye's will you? If you're still alive after this."

Your eyes widened and you spun around when he grinned and whistled loudly, a blighter emerging from behind each of the racks menacingly, all carrying pipes or makeshift weapons out of whatever happened to be laying about the room.

Crawford, knowing that you could no longer pursue him strolled leisurely down the platform with an almost spring in his step, disappearing from view and leaving you to your almost certain demise at the hands of his minions. You took a deep breath and turned slowly on the spot; taking a mental count of your adversaries, grimacing when you saw there were fifteen in all. You flicked out your blade and raised your dagger when they started shuffling their way closer and circle around you, adorning a massive grin in letting them know you weren't going to go down without a fight.


	15. Chapter 15

"C'mon fellas, this doesn't exactly seem fair now, does it? If a few of you want to run off and get help, I'll wait." You jeered, refusing to show any kind of fear as the two in front of you started to advance faster.

Just before they were able to strike the lights suddenly went out, and the whole room was plunged in darkness for a moment before the emergency lamps kicked in and everything was covered in a dim yellow glow. In the mobs' confusion you managed to glance around quickly as to try to figure out what could have happened, looking up when the shadow that you had dismissed earlier reappeared in the corner of your eye. Now able to make out that it was a person that was looming down over you, you froze wide-eyed the same as everyone else when the figure jumped down and landed on the two blighters closest in front of you, the reflection off of the metal objects the person was holding disappearing straight into their backs. 

_Swords?!_ There was no one you could think of that still used weapons like that, but at this moment in time you didn't care. Even though you couldn't see who it was; the hood of their long black coat pulled up and a mask covering their mouth and nose, they were apparently not a foe as they lept up quickly and engaged the next gang member, punching him straight in the stomach followed by a knee to his jaw when he doubled over before moving onto the next.

Taking advantage of the gangs momentary distraction at this mystery assailant, you spun around and ran as fast as you could towards the one that was directly behind you, dropping to your knees and sliding past him with your dagger held out to slice just above his ankles; blood spurting out everywhere as you severed his Achilles' tendons. When you pulled yourself up a pair of strong arms grabbed you from behind and held you to the spot while another gang member with a metal pipe zeroed in on you, swinging back to hit you over the head with it. You managed to kick your feet up off the floor before he connected, lashing out with your leg and booting him straight in the chest, the force of the recoil sending the man behind you tumbling down towards the floor and taking you along with him. As you fell, you managed to lean your top half forward so that when you landed, you had more than enough leverage to fling your head back with as much strength as you could muster, a resounding crack ringing in your ear when the back of your head collided with his nose.

His grip loosened around you enough for you to be able to scramble up and regain your bearings, your head snapping to the side when a glimmer of something flew by you and missed you by mere inches. A short sword was now embedded deep into the chest of a blighter, who had come running up and was about to jump on you from behind. You gave a quick nod to your 'friend' when you saw them stare at you for a moment before tackling the man beside him to the ground, a strangled gargle tearing from his throat when something that you couldn't quite see was thrust deep into his neck. You glanced around quickly in amazement to see only three of the gang left that weren't dead or injured on the floor, and as two were already being taken care of you concentrated on the last who was staggering around randomly.

Charging up and stepping on one of the cases that were littered about, you managed to vault yourself up high enough so that you landed on his back with your legs tangled around his waist, locking your forearm around his neck and squeezing tightly. He clawed at your arm and stumbled about to try and get you off, but the chokehold that you had was just too strong, and he eventually started to sway about before collapsing to the floor out cold. You kicked him in the head _just in case_ as you got up and brushed yourself off, squealing when a hand grabbed your wrist and twirled you around, so you were now caught in a warm embrace. A shot was fired at the last thug who must have been hiding but was now rushing at you, with the sword that had been thrown earlier.

You didn't even look at the man as he suddenly dropped to the floor with a perfect hole in between his eyes, your brain was too busy whirlwinding out of control when you instantly recognised the move that pulled you into this hold, quickly confirmed when a tingle ran down your spine.

"Sh-Shay?"

He pulled down his hood down with a crease in his eye; from what you assumed was a smile as you still couldn't see his face, and drew up his hand to brush over your cheek with the back of his fingers. You had a million questions running through your mind, but you didn't get a chance to ask a single one of them as in a split second he had pulled his hood up and grabbed you so that your back was to him, forcing your arm up almost painfully between you and holding his remaining sword against your throat.

"What the...?!?" You yelped, shutting up promptly when you heard two faint male voices shouting your name from the other side of the warehouse.

Now understanding why he had done this, you twisted your hand and squeezed Shay's fingers briefly in letting him know that you would follow his ruse, pretending to look terrified just as Connor and Jacob ran through the door.

"(Name)! Let go of her you bastard, or I swear to god they'll be finding pieces of you all over London!" Jacob roared, unsheathing his Kukri at the same time Connor drew out his Tomahawk.

You felt Shay tense up for a moment before chuckling against you as he loosened your arm slightly; so he wasn't hurting you anymore, but he still kept his blade against your neck while he took a step back closer towards the exit, making you shuffle yourself along with him.

"Stay back Assassins, unless you want to see this pretty head rolling about on the floor."

You winced as the cold metal pressed harder on your skin when he tightened his grip around you to prove a point, making your associates lower their weapons slightly but lean forwards in hoping they'll get a chance to strike.

"(Name), are you alright?" Connor whispered, almost so inaudibly that you had to strain your ears to hear him.

"Do I look alright?! You guys have really sucky ti- **miiing**!"

Stumbling and feeling a faint trickle run down your collarbone as you were pulled back again, you dug your thumbnail into Shay's palm in retaliation for his jerking without warning, making him hiss lowly before stroking the side of your hand with his finger in the way of an apology. 

You shook your head slightly when you saw Jacob's hand twitch, giving him a hardened stare when he completely ignored you and did it again, not as subtle as the first time. 

In less than a blink of an eye Shay growled and lowered his arm from around your neck, and hurled his sword into the air when Jacob shot out his rope launcher to the ceiling above you. The edge of the blade found it's mark and sliced through the line perfectly just below the hook, making it drop to the floor with a high-pitched clang that echoed around the room. You had little time to be amazed at the throw as he quickly flicked out his hidden blade and, resumed his position at your neck. Even Connor had his jaw dropped slightly as he watched the rest of the rope curl on the floor, but Jacob was positively seething, making you wish Shay would hurry up and go before the situation escalated even further.

"Who did you kill to get that? Templar?!" Connor snarled when he finally noticed the new blade resting just under your chin.

"Ah, no-one important. I would like to add more to my collection, but I haven't got time for that right now."

Shay took one more step back, but this time it was smaller, so you ended up overstepping and were now pressed up even more firmly against him, his cheek resting just behind your ear.

"Hold ya breath lass." He mumbled, stealthily letting go of your arm so he could grab something at his waist.

Taking several deep breaths through your nose, you took one last gulp of air and closed your eyes at the same time as you were pushed forward, and Shay threw something at the floor just in front of you, a thick white cloud erupting the second that whatever it was, broke. A whimper caught in your throat when you suddenly felt a hand curl around the back of your head and a soft mouth press against yours, your lips feeling like electricity was running through them as you were about to return the kiss. He pulled away just as you went to reach out, your fingertips finding nothing in the dense smoke that was starting to dissipate around you. Stumbling about to try to navigate your way out of the smog when your lungs began to feel like they were burning; in desperate need of oxygen, you grasped hold of something warm and coughing when you got to the edge of the cloud.

Wheezing when you finally exhaled and gulped down clean air greedily, you rubbed your eyes with the back of your hand when they had started to water even though you had kept them closed. You let go of Connor and spun around when the main lights flicked back on, and you could finally see properly, trying not to look shocked as you took in all the bodies that were strewn about. Most were dead, but the two or three that were groaning or rolling about would definitely need the hospital before the police could interrogate them.

"You......did all this?"

You put your hands on your hips and smirked at Jacob now that he had also noticed the blighters on the floor after catching his breath, then walked over to pick up Shay's sword with your hand pressed against your neck; sighing when you only felt a small nick at the base of your throat.

"Told you I didn't need boxing lessons." You chuckled.

Thankfully the men were so distracted in looking at 'your handiwork' that they didn't notice that your brow was furrowed in confusion, and you were now tracing your finger over your lips. _First he blew you off, then he ignored you, now he's kissing you?!_ If you weren't wholly bewildered before you most definitely were now, not even beginning to comprehend the mixed signals you were getting from him. Shaking yourself off before tugging out and tying a loop in your belt so you could makeshift a way to carry the sword, your ears suddenly pricked up at the distant sound of sirens coming from outside, getting closer and louder each second you lingered around in the warehouse.

"Come on boys, time to go. Did you get the guns and the money?"

"Course we did, Evie's already started taking it to the safe house, left one crate behind so the bobbies could tie the blighters to this and arrest what's left. You really taking that?"

You had every intention of taking the sword since you spotted it a few minutes ago so you could give it back to Shay at some point, but you couldn't exactly tell him that so you shrugged your shoulders as Jacob continued to stare at you while you fastened the belt around your waist and slid the blade into the loop, fiddling about with it so your coat concealed most of it and it didn't dig into your leg.

"Why not? It's a nice sword, and I doubt very much that its previous owner will be coming back for it anytime soon."

Linking your arm with Connors when he began slowly walking towards the corridor that would lead you outside, you kept glancing at him out of the corner of your eye when you realised he had been very quiet since you were held _hostage_.

"Hey, you okay? We've just saved the day, no need to be so glum!"

He flashed you a small smile, but you could tell it was forced so you decided to poke him in his ribs; knowing that he hated it, until he confessed as to what was bothering him.

"Please stop (name). I-I was just worried. Seeing you being held like that."

"Awww, I'm a big girl, I can take..."

"It is not just that!" He blurted, cutting you off mid-sentence. "That, man. He seemed familiar, I am sure I have seen him somewhere before."

The pounding of your heart drowned out anything else that he might have said after that, a wash of dread tumbling through you at the thought of what would happen if he made the connection. You covered your momentary silence by fumbling in your pocket for your bike keys now that you had made it outside, and attempted to brush it off by making light of his thoughts. 

"Oh come on, you know they all look and sound the same! I am a Templar rawrrr, may the father of understanding guide us blah blah blah."

You grinned when Connor chuckled at your mockery and shrugged his shoulders, wrapping his arms around you and squeezing you tightly when Jacob cleared his throat and began tapping on his wrist at an imaginary watch.

"I suppose you are right, it has been a long day and I am glad it is finally over. I am just happy you are alright."

Giving him a wink and a thumbs up as you pulled your helmet on and jumped on your bike now that you had made it to the alleyway; fumbling with the key for a moment before eventually getting it in its slot and starting the engine, you exhaled long and slowly behind the tinted visor as the panic drained out of you, not sure if you could face another close call like that.

"Come on then, before the fuzz gets here. I need to make a detour on the way to the safe house, to get Alec to fix my rope launcher."

You revved your bike a couple of times to mask your slight giggles as you remembered that Shay had destroyed his favourite toy, looking up to the rooftops when something caught your eye and making a mental note to ask him where on earth he learnt to throw like that next time you saw him.


	16. Chapter 16

You were up in your room pacing to and fro, stopping every third or fourth lap to stare at your phone on the bed. It had been two days since the mission, and you had still yet to call the voicemail number to let Gist know where the money had been taken to so they could retrieve it for Haytham. But the thought of having your voice recorded still unnerved you greatly despite his assurances, _especially_ after what Connor had said. Knowing that you couldn't do anything here whether you chose to or not, you grabbed up your phone and jacket, running down the stairs and barging by Jacobs legs which were propped up on the counter while Henry was boring him to tears about some dried flowers.

"Hey! Where you off to in such a rush? Can I come with you?!"

You glanced behind you just long enough to see that he was looking up at you with pleading eyes, making you chuckle when Henry snapped the book he was holding shut as you opened the door.

"Out. And nope. Don't wait up!"

Walking through the streets vaguely while you still pondered on what to do about your 'other' assignment, you mumbled an apology when you bumped into a couple and nearly sent them flying while you were busy staring at the pavement. Learning your lesson and looking up instead of at the floor, you finally took note of your surroundings, quite surprised that you had inadvertently made your way to Tower Bridge. It was packed with tourists, and you needed time alone to think, so looking about to make sure there was no kind of authoritative people about, you began climbing one of the towers; scaling it with trained deftness until you reached near the top. You threw yourself to the side and leapt onto the walkway that connected the two towers and sat down with your legs dangling after checking there wasn't anyone else here, staring out into the distance.

The corner of your mouth curved as from all the way up here you could see the tips of red sails at the marina, but you soon frowned when your stomach suddenly started fluttering. You still weren't happy with the man after what he did to you, but there was a part of you that always felt completely the opposite; especially since that kiss had stirred everything back up again, regardless of how much you tried to ignore it.

_Since when did everything become so complicated??_

Irrespective of how you felt about him, it had nothing to do with whether you should let the Templars have the money or not, the only thing that could decide that is trying to determine what the Assassins would do with it. Your friends you trusted completely, but the masters and mentors? You knew they would do _anything_ to get the upper hand.

You sighed and rubbed your face when a strong gust of wind hit you, making you shiver as you were way underdressed for being two hundred feet in the air. Swinging your bag around and pulling out your phone, you brought up the voicemail number and hit call before you changed your mind. You sat tapping your leg as only silence hit your ear, it seeming like forever had passed until you eventually heard a beep.

"It's at the corners of Cable Street and Mill yard, opposite the museum. And... I'd like a lift."

Hanging up as soon as you blurted that out, you gawked at the screen wondering what the hell possessed you to ask to go with them. Deciding that maybe it wasn't such a bad decision, after all, being on the yacht was way more preferable that being on a cramped plane, and it would also give you the chance to let Shay have his sword back. Shoving your phone back into your bag, you stood up and peered down below, looking for a suitable landing place to jump down from where you were. Spotting a small trailer filled with stuffed toys to be sold to the tourists for an obscenely high price, you stood up and spread your arms out, leaning forwards and letting yourself fall. 

You always loved doing a leap of faith. For those few seconds spiralling through the air, it felt like every one of your worries were dragged away; leaving you with an absolute peace which is why you were giggling to yourself when you landed, not even caring that the vendor was screaming at you for squashing his merchandise as you jumped out. Given that you had nothing else to do today you thought you might as well wander about for a bit, maybe even some shopping now that you had a few pounds to your name thanks to Jacob.

 

 

After spending a couple of hours taking in the sights as you hadn't been here for quite a while and, laughing at the tourist's who were taking an outrageous amount of selfies, you eventually found yourself at Trinity Square Gardens. Apparently, your nose had led the way as your stomach started growling when you got closer to the burger vendor, which wasn't surprising considering dusk was beginning to loom. Buying yourself something to eat and drink and perching yourself under a tree away from the fair few people who were still about that were soaking in the last few rays of sunshine, you began devouring your food in record speed when you suddenly became ravenous after your first bite.

Feeling a lot better now that you had finished, you grabbed your napkin to wipe your hands with, cocking your head quizzically when you spied a dot of black ink on the corner of it. Usually, they were just plain white, so your intrigue got the better of you and you gingerly began to unfold it, looking around quickly to make sure that no-one was watching you when you saw that something was written on the inside. Satisfied that you were alone, you lay it out on your lap and smirked to yourself as you read the neatly printed handwriting.

**We have what we wanted, sail at 3 pm tomorrow. See you then :)**

_Well no backing out now._ You thought as you set to tearing the tissue up into the tiniest pieces you could manage before dropping them into the remnants of your drink. Glancing up to see that the food stall had now gone, you began to wonder just how many connections Gist actually had around here. Now all that was left to do was try to come up with a good excuse for Connor as to why you wouldn't be travelling with him again...

 

 

 

You were more than surprised when you asked Connor for some time off to relax now that the mission was complete, as you had expected him to either be annoyed or give you a lecture about how much more work there was still to be done. You had even planned out a good excuse, but you didn't need to use it as the second you'd opened your mouth and mentioned the word vacation, he was pretty much ushering you out the door before _you_ changed your mind. 

"It has not been nearly six year's since I've had time off!" You yelled, so Desmond could hear you on the other end of the phone as Connor had insisted on calling him to redistribute your work for the next two weeks.

"Desmond says you are correct, it is closer to seven."

Rolling your eyes when you could tell they were mocking you and calling you a workaholic during their conversation, you stomped up the stairs in a pretended huff, actually feeling quite thrilled at the prospect of getting some R&R. You had always ignored the men's comments of 'you work too much' and 'even Superwoman took a break once in a while', but when Evie had mentioned that you looked burnt out the other day, that's when you had considered stepping back for a bit. You guessed it would take about a week again to get back to Boston, but without any impending mission or dire circumstance worrying you this time you were damned sure that you were going to take advantage and enjoy being on the Morrigan with its many luxuries. As for the second week? You'd worry about that when you got back home.

"So, what are you going to do with your time off?"

Glancing up from packing your bag, to see Henry leaning against the door frame with a soft smile before walking over and handing you a pile of clothes that had been laundered for you, you shrugged your shoulders and pretended to think about it while you stuffed the garments in your bag.

"Not decided much really. Was thinking maybe taking a boat ride? I'll wing the rest."

You silently praised yourself for your quick thinking, so on the off chance someone _did_ happen to spot you at the docks, they wouldn't be trying to figure out as to why you were there. Still, you would try to avoid being in that situation as much as possible. You stopped what you were doing for a second as Henry just stood there thoughtfully for a moment, before his face lit up when he had an idea.

"Did you know that Edward has just arrived? If it is sailing you want to do why not go with him? He could also take you back home."

_Oh. Crap._

Grateful that you had gotten this information now and not later, you carried on with your bag and acted as indifferent as possible while you hoped that he hadn't moored anywhere near The Morrigan.

"Eddie? No ta, I'd like to spend my time off ungroped thank you! What's he doing here?"

"Hmm? Oh, just tying up a few loose ends and most likely to drink London dry with Jacob. Nothing for you to be concerned about I assure you." He chuckled.

Scoffing in agreement and squashing everything down in your holdall, you carefully wedged Shays sword on the top of it all and zipped it up, then checked your watch and saw that you needed to get going.

"Guess I'll be off then. Say bye to the others for me, and if you need me to dig you out of it again, you know where I am."

You grinned and winked at him as he rolled his eyes and shooed you away out the door, then groaned as you heaved your bag over your shoulder and started the short walk to the marina.

 

 

 

Pulling your hood further down to cover your face a bit more as you got closer to the dock; thankful that it had started drizzling so you wouldn't look out of place, you gasped and cursed under your breath when you spotted the Jackdaw on the opposite side of the pier, entirely in view of the Morrigan. You willed your feet into moving faster when you could see no-one obvious about, that was until you heard a couple of familiar laughs coming from almost directly ahead of you. Ducking behind a small stack of crates at the edge of the walkway just in time as Edward, Jacob and Connor rounded the corner; you pressed yourself up against the wood as much as humanly possible when their voices started getting closer.

Inching yourself slightly to the side by balancing on your tiptoes and shuffling across, you managed to peek just around the edge of the crates to see where they had stopped when you couldn't hear footsteps anymore. Your heart was beating so loud you were sure it was going to give you away when you saw they were about fifteen feet away from you; exactly in front of the ramp to board the Morrigan to be precise, Edward gazing at it thoughtfully. You looked up when you saw movement above, tugging your hood down when you spotted Christopher walking down the deck. His eyes widened when he saw you crouched down and huddled in a tiny ball, his gaze flickering away from you quickly when the three men stood further down caught his attention.

"Ahoy there friends! Is there something I can help you with?" He yelled, almost sprinting down the deck to attempt to provide a distraction for you.

Leaning to the side again so you could keep an eye and an ear out for an opportune moment to hide somewhere better until they were gone, it finally sunk in that there _actually_ wasn't anywhere for you to go, not without being spotted anyway. Hoping that Gist had come up with some cunning plan, you held on to your bag as tight as you could and carried on listening to the conversation, mentally beating yourself up for making such a grave error in judgement.

**"Just admiring your ship mate, don't see many with red sails."**

_"Ah yes, her previous owner was rather enthusiastic about them, they've grown on me now. I don't care for this weather we're having much, it seems like we're going to_ **Get Wet!"**

You looked around when Gist had said that last bit marginally louder, assuming that he was trying to communicate with you while still trying to be as discreet as possible. You swallowed hard when your eyes eventually roamed and stopped just to the left of you, a gap between the edge of the pier and the ship just big enough for you to slide down and into the water filling your vision. _He can't be serious??!_ Resigning to the fact that you had no choice but to do what you thought he was suggesting, you pulled back and pressed yourself back up against the crate again, waiting for another instruction as what to do next.

**"Mind if we come aboard and have a look? I'm actually in the market for something like this, and she is a beauty!"**

Frowning as you knew Eddie well enough to tell he wasn't serious about what he had just said, you started to become even more panicked; if such a thing were even possible, as it sounded like he was probing at another reason to get on board the ship.

 _"Dreadfully sorry, maybe another time. I'm already late disembarking, in fact, I must_ **Go Now!** "

Taking that as your cue, you held your bag firmly to your chest and took a deep breath as you leant forwards, rolling yourself off the side and straight into the icy cold water quickly. You knew it was pointless opening your eyes to try and see underwater as you'd already observed it extremely murky, so you reached out with one hand until you felt the hull under your fingertips and kicked your legs gently, using it as a guide to make your way to the back of the ship. Slowly letting out a bit of breath at a time to prolong your ability to keep submerged, you tried to distract yourself from where you were by wondering which was worse. Drowning, or getting caught. Grasping the ladder at the stern to keep yourself immersed for as long as you could when you decided on the latter, you pressed your nose against your arm to stop yourself breathing in the water when you felt like your chest was being crushed tighter with every passing second that you were underwater.

At the moment you began to go dizzy; just before you felt like you were going to pass out and one last bubble of air escaped your lips, a hand gripped your arm firmly and dragged you up with incredible strength, pulling you onto the deck where you began choking and heaving in a desperate attempt to fill your lungs with breath again. Looking up in your oxygen deprived haze to see who had dragged you out of the water, a slight of a smile tugged at your lips when you saw a very distraught Shay kneeling down next to you, before you collapsed to the floor and slipped into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points for anyone who knows what museum is opposite where the money is stashed ;)


	17. Chapter 17

Sitting up with a start and gasping loudly, you clutched your chest with one hand and, looked down when you felt your fingers curl into something soft. You took several deep breaths to calm yourself when you realised you were in the bed you had stayed in before on the Morrigan, but were slightly confused as you were now dressed in nothing but your hidden blade, and an oversized white shirt. It didn't take long for you to remember that you had held yourself underwater to almost the point of no return; so that your colleagues wouldn't see you, so you grabbed the top blanket off your bed and wrapped it around you tightly as you jumped up and almost sprinted out of your room towards the upper deck.

You slowed down when you got outside; pulling the cover more firmly around you as the cold air hit you, your eyebrows raising when you saw that it was nearly night and you couldn't see even a scrap of land in the distance. It was Gist who you spotted first in the outside dining area listening to some music on the radio, swallowing hard when he lept up from the table and rushed over to you, his face wrought in guilt as he embraced you gently.

"How are you feeling dear? I'm so sorry, had I known they were there I would have warned you, but I was busy with preparations, and I wasn't paying attention, I should have known..."

"Christopher. Breathe." You chuckled, cutting him off in his babbling apology. "I'm fine, it takes a bit more than sea water to beat me, and it wasn't your fault. I knew they were there, didn't think that they would still be at the marina. I should have been more careful. They didn't see me, did they?!"

You let out a sigh of relief when he let you go and shook his head softly, resting his hand on your back to guide you to the table so you could sit down.

"No, thankfully. I expected them to leave faster than that, but the Captain for some reason was trying everything he could to come aboard. Do you know of any reason why?"

Dropping down onto the chair and pulling your knees up to your chest, you sat there in silence as you recalled Eddie asking to come on, but you could think of zero reasons as to why he would want to. No-one had said anything to you about it before you left, only that Henry had said he was here for 'loose ends', whatever they were.

"No idea. Too late to do anything about it now I suppose. Is that my phone?!"

It only just came to your attention what Gist was doing at the table before you came up, after spying your mobile and a bag of uncooked rice just to the left of him.

"Yes. Unfortunately, I think it's completely fried, but no harm in trying!"

You sighed when he picked it up and showed you the sodden screen, but took a moment to glance about properly while he was busy putting it in the bag and tying it off. Looking around everywhere; at the top deck and further down the ship, it didn't take long for you to spot your holdall leaned up against the side rail, grimacing when you saw that it was still dripping and sat in a large puddle of sea water. _Well at least you still had clothes.._ Looking down at yourself and then back up to Gist quickly, you pursed your lips and began fidgeting when it sunk in as to what you were wearing at the moment.

"Well, I appreciate you trying. One more thing... Who, undressed me?"

"That would be me. Don't worry, I kept my eyes closed. Mostly."

Scoffing when you could see him straining to hold back a grin, you lowered your head and began twiddling your thumbs absentmindedly when Shay suddenly occupied your thoughts and, you wondered where he was as you didn't see him through the window of the helm.

"You seem disappointed dear."

"Hmm?"

"That it was me that took your wet clothes off and not somebody else?"

You could feel your cheeks getting warmer as the grin he was stifling spread across his face and he winked slowly at you, making you divert your gaze to anywhere but meet his.

"I-I, you know.. I'm not...Erm. No?" You babbled, still refusing to look at him when you knew your face was rivalling the sun right now.

Freezing wide-eyed when the skin crept at the back of your neck, you slowly turned your head so you could see behind you, snapping it back quickly when you saw Shay stood about three foot away with his eyebrows raised and staring at you. You gave Gist an evil glare when he started chuckling; obviously making that comment because he knew Shay was stood behind you, and got up from your seat and walked over to where your bag was. Thankfully you didn't have to dig very far into it to tug out the sword that was nestled amongst your things; that now reeked of old fish, shuffling back and holding it out with one hand while you tried to hold up the blanket with your other.

"Um, hi. Thank you for saving me, again. I managed to get your sword back for you."

"Mmm, seems like it's becoming a habit of mine. Thanks for this."

You sat back down whilst Shay began unwrapping his blade, using your fingers to massage your ears when you started to hear a faint whistling, even over the sound of the music.

"Still a bit waterlogged?" Christopher chuckled, still clearly amused at yours and Shays interaction.

"I'm not sure. You, can't hear that?!"

Looking around furiously when the noise was getting louder, you threw yourself off the chair and ducked down the same time as the men did when an explosion bellowed out in the water, only a few yards from the stern of the ship. 

You didn't even have a chance to see what was going on before Shay grabbed your hand and dragged you up; pulling you into running down the deck and towards the helm, only stopping for a second when you tripped up over the blanket that you had now dropped in the rush.

"Gist! The radar! Find who the hell's firing on us!" Shay barked as soon as he got to the wheel, turning it abruptly and making you grab hold of the console to stay upright.

Glancing over to where Christopher was staring at the screen with a bewildered look on his face when nothing appeared on it, you snatched up a pair of binoculars that you had spotted before and looked through them quickly as another eruption echoed out; closer this time, terror filling you and your hands shaking when what you were looking for came into your view.

"It's the Jackdaw. You won't see them on the radar, he always emits a jamming signal."

"The Jack... What the _hell_ is going on?!"

You looked through the binoculars again in hopes to give Shay some kind of direction as he was flying blind at the moment, but you threw them down in anger when you could see nothing in the pitch black of the open sea now that they had turned their spotlight off. You fell to the floor hard when another projectile detonated from what you guessed was only a few feet away, as the ship was rocking furiously with the rippling waves that it had formed. Crawling over to where Gist had dropped down and was now pulling out a case from under the counter, you helped him unlock it, surprise mixing in with your fear as he took out a pair of night vision goggles and put them on quickly, flicking off the lights as he looked out the window.

"Its definitely those three from London, and they're using a mortar. We don't have anything aboard that can rival that!"

Thinking quickly as you watched Shays' face twist up in fury, you snapped your fingers when you came up with something that had a slim chance of getting you out of this.

"Do you have a rifle? With a scope??"

Shay looked at you quizzically for a moment at your request, then let go of the wheel and caught you as you fell again with the severe swaying that the narrowly missing discharges were causing.

"Aye, we do in the hold, but I don't see how that's gonna help." He breathed, his eyes darting about at you still being in his arms.

You forgot yourself for a moment as Shay just held you there gently, until Gist grabbed the unmanned wheel and, turned it harshly so that you didn't end up veering into the Jackdaws path.

"No time to explain. Christopher, get closer to them."

"What?! Have you gone mad??"

"Just do it!" You screamed, after stumbling out of Shays embrace and running as fast as you could down the steps towards the lower deck.

You were pinballing against the walls as you tried to keep your balance through the narrow corridor of the bottom deck, covering your ears at the deafening sound of the engine as you passed it to what you assumed was the armoury. Bursting through the door and gawking for a second at the number of weapons that the US Army themselves would have been jealous of, you began quickly pulling out and opening the vast array of cases until you came across what you were looking for.

It took you less than a minute to assemble it; even with the ship bouncing all over the place, finishing it by sliding on the scope and then grabbing a box of .30 calibre cartridges off of the shelving above, silently praying that you wouldn't need that many.

You had managed to take two whole steps out of the door when an ear-splitting boom came from behind the engine, the force of the eruption throwing you against the wall with a resounding thud and nearly knocking you out cold. Grasping your head when it started swimming, you managed to look up through the ringing in your ears and the bright lights dancing before your eyes to see that the engine had stopped running and, thick black smoke was pouring from it.

Dragging yourself up, knowing time was not on your side as the Jackdaw was probably reloading this very second, your stomach clenched in terror when you realised that you had dropped the box of bullets. Scouring around furiously, you lunged at the ground when you found it tipped up on the floor; the shells rolling away and into the drain. You scrambled about trying to collect up as many as you could, but by the time the last one dropped with a splash you had only managed to pick up three.

Having no time to mull on it, you ran as fast as you could back to the middle deck and crouched down when you got outside, using the rail for cover so that you wouldn't be spotted if they were looking over the same way you had been doing to them. Making it to one of the gaps in the side, you used your feet to drag over your discarded blanket from earlier as you lay down, pulling it over your head before loading the first bullet into the chamber. As you had instructed, Gist had steered the Morrigan closer to the Jackdaw; most likely how they managed to get a direct hit on you, but that made your chances of damaging the ship that much higher now. 

Closing your eyes for a moment and breathing through your nose to steady yourself, you took aim at the Jackdaws helm, swallowing hard when you saw Eddie at the wheel shouting something to one of his crew. You didn't want to do this, every scrap of your being told you not to go through with it, but it was your life on the line too, and you didn't want it to end just yet.

Adjusting the scope a few degrees before you talked yourself out of it, you squeezed the trigger firmly, your eyes widening when the bullet found its mark but didn't penetrate the window. _Fucking bulletproof glass?!_ Cursing loudly as you reloaded and took aim again, you knew that you had less than a one in a million chance of hitting the same spot; now that it was weakened another might pass through, but you had to try. 

Just as you pulled the trigger again, the Morrigan tilted heavily to the right to avoid the next projectile; that would have no doubt hit about a foot away from where you were if Shay hadn't have moved, but now you had missed your mark and had only one bullet left to do it with. Holding the last shot in your hand tightly and looking up at the helm to see Shay stood at the window; looking down at you with his palm on the glass, you grit your teeth in determination and rearmed the rifle, trying to find a clear shot through all of the people now running about trying to hide from the gunfire.

_You can do this... You can do this.._ You chanted over and over, timing your sight with the rocking of the boat. You don't know what possessed you to do it, but as you pulled the trigger for the last time, you closed your eyes, not opening them until a few seconds later. Forcing yourself to see the outcome of your efforts, you grinned so wide that your face instantly began to hurt with it when you saw that you had hit the _exact_ same spot as before, but this time it went straight through and penetrated the main console, the only form of light now coming from the sparks that were flying into the air.

With the Jackdaws sails all being controlled by electrical pulleys, it was now dead in the water, so you got up and held the blanket over your head; doubtful that anyone could see you but you didn't want to take that chance, and headed back up to the helm.

As soon as you had got to the top of the stairs, you were nearly knocked to the floor when Christopher bounded over and threw his arms around you, picking you up and spinning you around.

"You wonderful girl! Wherever did you learn to shoot like that?"

Laughing when he finally put you down and held you at arm's length, chuckling with you jovially, you shrugged your shoulders and pulled the blanket down from around your head so you could see properly.

"Always had a knack for it, but that last shot was pure luck, I assure you!"

Leaning to the side after he punched you in the arm gently, your smile dropped from your face and you shuffled forward when Shay didn't seem as pleased with the outcome as you and Gist.

"Umm, I hope this makes us kind of even? I didn't know what else I could do to help."

Shay finally looked up at you with a hint of a soft smile, but it didn't last long when most of the instruments in front of him started flashing red and uneven beeping spread throughout the room, until he pressed several buttons roughly.

"Aye, you did a grand job love. But no time for celebratin' yet. My ships blown to bits, an we still have no idea why they came after us in the first place, or how they even found us. Gist, you sort out up here, I need to go down an see the damage."

You took a quick sidestep when he lept up out of his chair and almost threw himself down the stairs in haste to see how much devastation had been caused, leaving you and Christopher staring at each other miserably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May I present the inspiration for the Jackdaw XD


	18. Chapter 18

It had taken a whole day to clean up the mess and assess the damage from the conflict, not made any easier when dark clouds loomed overhead and threatened to empty themselves on top of you at any moment. Hoping that you could finish what you were doing before the skies opened, you rolled up your abundantly long shirt sleeves, so they didn't get in the way, and grabbed the nearest screwdriver. You had managed to salvage some of your underwear from your bag and one or two other bits, but the rest was ruined, so you had to make do with borrowing more of Christopher's shirts. They were surprisingly comfortable and long enough to be considered a dress, but they left very little to the imagination when they caught the wind, much to the men's amusement.

Glancing up from where you were sat trying to fix one of the broken loungers, you burst out laughing when you saw Gist dancing around to the radio, with a mop in his arms.

"Oi twinkle toes! Come give me a hand with this, would you? If you can tear yourself away from your date that is!"

Christopher pranced over to you after bowing to the mop and dropping it to the floor, grinning while he held the legs of the lounger in place while you tightened the screws.

"Last one... Done! Think that's everything up here fixed, I wonder how Shay's doing?"

As if he had heard you call his name, Shay stomped across the deck with a somewhat surly look on his face, carrying a scorched cylindrical mechanical part with wires dangling out of it. You winced when he dropped it down on the coffee table with a clang, sitting down opposite you and rubbing his face vigorously.

"Well that's shot to shit, sails only till we get back to Boston."

"How long will that take? Can't we stop somewhere and get a new one?" You murmured as you watched Gist lean over and drag a cooler over, flipping the lid off and pulling out three bottles of beer.

Taking one as he handed it to you, you twisted the top and began fiddling with it as you took a long swig, glancing at Shay out of the corner of your eye when he looked thoughtful, then grimaced.

"About two weeks I reckon. Two bloody weeks... It's a specialist part, not like we can get one at the nearest shop."

You scoffed and laid back on your lounger when he seemed very disgruntled at the thought of being here for that long, stretching out before tapping your foot in time with the pop song that just came on.

"Well makes no odds to me, just taken a fortnights leave. And it's not like _I've_ got anyone back in Boston to rush back to."

Shays brow furrowed in confusion as you looked at him pointedly when you said that, his eyes narrowing when he glanced over at Gist; who now looked petrified, then back over to you.

"What do ya mean by that?"

You pretended that you didn't hear him and took another sip of your drink, rolling your eyes when he looked utterly baffled then leaning over to poke Christopher when he resembled something close to a ghost.

"You know exactly what I mean. Hey, you okay? You've got that look again."

"Y-yes I'm fine. I think I forgot to check on something."

Shay lay his hand on Gist's shoulder and pushed him back down when he went to get up, knowing that he was hiding something; but he didn't know what, so he decided he would keep him there until he could deal with it in a minute.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Care to enlighten me?"

Rolling your tongue in your cheek as you started peeling the label off the bottle, you were becoming slightly angry at his 'playing dumb' facade, but you were more concerned about moving out of the way when Gist looked like he was about to throw up, so you drew up your legs and tucked them underneath you instead of answering.

"Look, lass. If I'm being accused of something?"

"Oh nothing, Just figured you'd have someone waiting for you in your hotel room, again." You scorned, looking up at the sky when a clap of thunder rumbled overhead.

"Room, again....?"

You looked back down when Shay started mumbling under his breath to himself, his eyes widening when the penny finally dropped. Cocking your head when he slowly turned to Gist; who was now hanging his head in shame, you became puzzled because if looks could kill, Christopher would most certainly be worm food.

"You went back to the hotel after the ball, didn't ya," Shay whispered through gritted teeth, still glaring at his best friend.

"Of course I did, why wouldn't I?"

"You didn't get my messages?"

Now wholly flummoxed you sat up straight as you kept glancing to and fro between the two men, hoping one of them would explain something soon before your brain exploded in trying to figure it out yourself.

"No, my phone died while we were being held at the manor after you left, I deleted them the next day. What's going on??"

Shay leant forwards and balanced his elbows on his knees, rolling his bottle in his hands while staring at the floor. Gist took that opportunity to get up again in an attempt to sneak away, making a wide berth around the pair of you while muttering something about 'he did try to tell you'. As soon as he had gone Shay carefully placed his beer on the table, exhaling a deep breath and cursing in the rough direction Gist had run off to.

"I didn't make it back. Just after I left that damned ex of yours started followin' me. Frye is it? Tried to lose him but the bastard's fast with that rope launcher. Didn't wanna lead him back to the hotel, so I eventually got away from him and ended up stayin' at headquarters for the night. I did call to let ya know."

"Wait... If that wasn't you then who?..." You blurted, dropping your drink all over the floor when everything finally clicked. 

"Son of a... That was Christopher?!"

You swallowed hard when Shay finally looked up at you and nodded, guilt and remorse flooding through you for thinking the worst of him. No wonder Jacob had looked so smug when you told him you had come to London alone, he was inadvertently the reason that you had. Your brow creased when something at the back of your mind crept up, making your stomach clench as you shuffled forward to sit on the edge of your seat.

"When you got to headquarters, was Haytham there?"

"Yeah lass. He seemed mightily amused that I was pacing about worried when I couldn't get hold of ya. Why?"

"N-no reason."

Your guilt quickly changed to fury as the true nights' events were pieced together in your mind, firstly at Jacob for being such a pig-headed jerk when he couldn't get what he wanted, then at Haytham for being sly and not telling you what had happened; no doubt to also keep Shay away from you, and then at yourself. Your initial instincts about Shay were right, and you let your emotions take over your head. The concierge at the hotel tried to tell you that he wasn't there, and you assumed that was what Gist wanted to say after he told you about the warehouse. If only you had not been so stubborn and deleted those messages, it would have saved you a lot of confusion and heartache. Not to mention the fact that two people who you deemed 'friends', had managed to manipulate you.

Sitting there in silence as you mulled over everything again and again; thinking you had entirely blown your chances now, you looked up when Shay cleared his throat, to see a rather enticing smile adorning his features. 

"Tell me love. Can you dance?"

Only then did you register that the radio was still on, biting your lip coyly when your stomach began to twist in knots as you got up, the intro to Enrique Iglesias' Bailamos playing across the ship. 

It was a quiet gasp that passed your lips as he took your hand and led you to a more open part of the deck, twirling you around and pulling you close to him, grazing his fingers down your spine before settling on the small of your back.

If anything, the dance had a more potent effect on you this time with it being slower and more sensual, and when he whispered the words to the song anytime his mouth was close to your ear, every single one of your nerves began to thrill. All of your senses were alive as he continued to hold you and sway with the music, your body heating up when you were pressed against him, each time he brushed your bare skin with his fingers or lips it sent tingles running through you that were dragged down by an unknown force to directly between your legs.

Shays breath stuck in his throat as you draped your arms around his neck and held on to him tightly when he lifted you up to spin you around, for what felt like an eternity he'd been dreaming of you holding him like this, and now it was finally happening. He was intoxicated at the way you were looking at him, making him feel like his heart, (and his cock) was about to explode at any moment, and he relished in every moment, wishing it would never end.

You were trembling from head to toe when he leant you back and ran his hand down your chest, his fingers plucking at the buttons of your shirt that sent delicious vibrations of anticipation scorching through you, and you were sure at this point you could feel your arousal seeping through your underwear and down your thighs. He hadn't even touched you intimately, yet judging by the pleasurable stirring inside of you, you were already on the verge of having an orgasm.

Both in a heated daze, neither of you noticed that Gist was leaning over the top rail and watching you, a wide grin spreading over his face in jubilation before returning to the helm and leaving the two of you alone before you caught him spying.

When the music had finished you didn't make any attempt to move out of Shays' arms, fearing breaking the moment, so you just stood breathing heavily through your nose, your gaze flickering over his face as you tried to make out his expression. He let you go and grabbed your hand when in that second the heavens opened, pulling you across the deck and down the stairs before you got drenched entirely. Your stomach was fluttering uncontrollably when he didn't continue down the corridor, instead leading you through the first door you came to, which you knew to be his bedroom.

You had no idea who moved first, but as soon as the door was shut your mouths crashed together in the most passionate kiss you had ever experienced, deep and hungry that left you nothing short of breathless. Hands were grasping everywhere in efforts to remove each other's clothes, and you gave up after only managing to get the top two buttons of his shirt undone, instead grabbing the bottom of it and yanking it up over his head.

Shay was not as graceful in taking yours off, the moment his arms were free of his and you tossed it to the floor, he slipped his fingers between a gap in the buttons and tugged hard, the fabric ripping and little bits of plastic flying everywhere as he pushed the tattered remains over your shoulders.

"He should be damn grateful that it's only his shirt I ruined." He murmured as your eyebrows raised at the scraps of Christopher's clothing dropping to the floor.

Your hands fell on his shoulders as he pulled you towards him again, one hand curling around your neck as he devoured your lips, the other trailing over your almost naked body, making you shudder as goosebumps erupted under his touch. You ran your fingertips over his broad chest, tracing the several light scars you came across before moving onto the defined curves of his abdomen, your eyes creasing in a smile as he twitched against you.

His hand dropped from your neck and gripped you firmly around your waist when your knees buckled from underneath you, his fingers that were caressing your body finding their way to your clothed mound and dragging over your crease, the slight pressure that you had been aching for being the key to your undoing.

Breaking away from his kiss and throwing your head back when your unexpected climax crashed down on you; the loud moan tearing from your throat borderline whorish, your nails dug into his chest as every liberating wave consumed you, and left you a quivering mess in his arms. Flopping your head forward as you tried to catch your breath, you bit your bottom lip shyly when you saw he was gazing at you with utter astonishment.

"Are ya... usually that quick love?" He whispered, removing his hand from between you and joining it with his other around your back.

Your face that was already hot was now scorching as you shook your head softly, expecting him to be smug at what he had just done to you, but instead, he looked nothing short of enchanted. That didn't last long however, because as soon as he was over his initial shock, a sensual smile crept up his face, picking you up and walking over to his bed. You giggled when he dropped you down and crawled over on top of you, trailing nibbling kisses up your stomach and between your breasts as he went. When he was fully over you; propping himself up on his elbow, he captured your mouth again, slower this time, but with no less hunger than before. The sensation of his hot skin and light chest hair rubbing against you made your whole body tense up with need, all of your fantasies paling in comparison to what he was doing to you.

Reaching behind him, you pulled out the tie that was holding his hair back, running your fingers through it as it as he peppered kisses along your cheek and jaw before returning to your mouth again. You thought that since you had just climaxed, it would have sated your desire slightly, but as you had not long figured out you were completely wrong when it came to this man, every caress, every kiss, sent you into an ever-growing frenzy that refused to die down.

A pulse ran through all of your pleasure points when you felt his throbbing erection press up against your thigh, but also dragging your attention to that he was still far more dressed than you were, and that was something that you had to rectify. Now. 

It was a struggle as he bit down tenderly on your neck, which made you whimper in his ear, but you managed to slide your hand between you and locate the buckle to his belt, scrambling to get it undone while you could still marginally focus. With it now out of the way; pulling it through the loops and throwing it down somewhere beside you, you felt him smile against your throat when you went to bring your other arm down to make the process of undoing his jeans faster, but he caught it and curled his fingers in yours, stopping you in your tracks.

Now knowing he was trying to drag this out for as long as possible, you were starting to become impatient as the blistering heat inside you was beginning to make you ache. Gathering as much concentration as you could muster, you carried on, your fingers barely working as you snapped open the button and moved onto the zip. As soon as you slid it down, you mewled against his cheek when he shuffled down out of your reach, his lips following his hand that was massaging your breast, sending a line of energy from wherever he stroked flashing downwards and intensifying the still throbbing of your engorged clit.

You were writhing on the bed by the time he had reached your navel, a panting mess when he knelt between your legs, and how you didn't come again just by the way he looked when you gazed downwards was beyond you. 

His hair was totally dishevelled from where you had been grasping it, the sheen of sweat and the plumpness of his lips from him kissing you so passionately was creating havoc on your senses, and you wondered just how much of this torturous teasing you could take.

You vaguely heard him mumble _fuck_ under his breath as he hooked his fingers under the waistband of your knickers, the fabric snagging on the sticky wetness as he gently slid them down your legs and threw them on top of the pile of your discarded clothes.

"God you're beautiful love."

Turning your head to the side with a demure smile when he ran his hand over your stomach and skimmed your hip bones, you bucked up with a gasp when you felt his head dip between your legs; his teeth gently grazing your thigh, punctuated with fleeting kisses.

Shay was quickly losing self-control as he drank in the ravishing sight of you splayed out before him, the sensual flush of your chest and face, the way your lips were parted delicately and the intense look in your eyes made him desire you even more if such a thing were possible. But there was one thing he wanted before taking you with abandon. You had made a sound when he grabbed you to save you from that last blighter in the warehouse, and it had sent a powerful surge of emotion running through him, which is why he couldn't stop himself from kissing you just before he made his escape. And he was going to do _everything_ he could to hear it again.

You almost choked when he slid your legs over his shoulders and inhaled deeply with a delicious growl, suddenly plunging his tongue deep inside you, making your hands curl tightly into the bedding when he wiggled it about before drawing up and circling your aching nub. It took no little effort to keep you still when he began to devour you as a man starved, a high pitched squeal tearing from your throat when he pressed the tip of his tongue firmly just below your clit and flicked up, your pleasure jumping tenfold at the sensation, his fingers gripping into your thighs more firmly in delight.

Your hands instinctively grabbed his hair and your heel was now digging painfully into his back when he did it again, holding your breath when he latched onto you and gently sucked, rolling your bundle of nerves between his lips and keeping you caught on the excruciating verge of ecstasy. Cascading moans tumbled over your lips when a bolt of pure energy surged through you with one more flit of his tongue, your back arching and going into vigour as you desperately tried to gasp in air before you passed out from this euphoric onslaught.

Collapsing back down onto the bed with staggered breaths as he softly lapped at you to prolong the rippling surges until you almost started to jerk, you pulled at him to make his ascent faster when he slowly inched back up over you, grazing his stubble over your sensitive skin as he went. You wrapped your arms around his back and pecked all over his face frantically, before catching his lips in another earth shattering kiss when you could reach him, realising that he had somehow shed the rest of his clothes when you drew your leg up against his and you felt a twitching hardness press up against your mons.

It was at this moment that you realised that you could never get enough of him, your body and mind still crying out for what you had been longing for since you were first introduced at headquarters. More than surprised that you were still capable of carrying on, you massaged small sensual circles down his back until you came to his hip, letting out an exasperated sigh and pouting when he stopped you from reaching him, _again_.

"Now this doesn't exactly seem fair, does it?!" You grumbled against his lips, fluttering your eyes open and instantly melting under him as he gazed at you like you were the most precious thing on earth and chuckled.

"Mmm, maybe next time."

The pout soon dropped and you adorned a sultry grin when he moved your hand and placed it on his rear, making your fingers squeeze firmly against the taut muscle.

"How's that? I know how much ya like it."

Your giggle was stifled when he cupped your chin and kissed you tenderly, his eyes never leaving yours as he shifted his hips and changed angle, so the tip of his shaft was probing at your entrance. Several whimpers poured out of you as he slowly pushed forwards, just dipping inside you before withdrawing, easing himself in again inch by glorious inch. There was some pain as he breached you, but you found yourself craving it after how long you had been waiting for this.

Shays breath hitched against your lips at the same time you cried out now he was buried to the hilt inside you, filling you so tight and deep you were sure you could feel him pressing up against your stomach. He slid his arm underneath you and held you as close as humanly possible as he slowly rolled his hips, his eyes dancing as your face twisted into something comparable to ecstasy as he moved against you.

Flutters of excitement and need swarmed inside you as he pulled out excruciatingly slowly, filling the void again at the same unhurried pace, but somehow stimulating every pleasurable spot you possessed that had you clawing at his back within seconds. He increased his rhythm when you hooked your leg over his hip, spreading your legs wider so that he ground up harder against your clit on every in stroke, your walls instinctively squeezing even tighter around him as shards of incomprehensible bliss tore throughout you.

His sounds of pleasure were making your already quickened heart pound even faster, uncontrolled gasps and groans as he relished in every second of you enveloping him, not only in your arms but your silken walls hugging around his length as if you were made just for him. This was unlike anything you had ever experienced before, with _anybody_ , and you revelled in every drop. 

"I-I can't believe this is happening... Am... I dreaming again..?" He panted against your lips, brushing his against yours and stroking your cheek with his thumb.

The vulnerability in his voice had you immediately cupping his face in your hands, reassuring him and returning his expression wholeheartedly as much as your pre-orgasmic state would allow.

"We're here. I'm here, and this is where I want to stay."

Your gesture was requited with a fierce and passionate kiss and his arm hooking underneath your leg so your knee was at the crook of his elbow, tilting your hips up and driving into you with such ardour you threw your head back and screamed his name when a fresh wave of passion induced endorphins flooded you, pushing you ever closer to another of the most spectacular sexual experiences of your life.

You found yourselves gazing into each other's eyes, emotions running riot at your coupling, both trembling against each other as you neared that wonderous plateau. It was you that gave in first to the delirious high that you knew only he could provide, flooding warmly with a gentle warble as your blood scorched in your veins and gold and blue stars danced before your eyes, clinging to him in desperate need to anchor yourself as you thought you might float away.

The clamping down and intense fluttering of your passage was more than Shay could handle, your name a breathy chant on his lips as he spilled himself into you with a few more snaps of his hips, hot and deep, groaning softly as he held you almost bruisingly tight against him and pushed his face in your shoulder.

You both lay there for a few moments basking in the hazy afterglow of your climaxes, before Shay rolled onto his side and pulled you along with him, so you were facing each other, your leg still draped over his hip and his shaft ticking inside you. You smiled dreamily as he brought up his hand and used his thumb to wipe a stray tear from your cheek that had leaked free, kissing the tip of your nose, then your lips softly before dropping down content and drowsy, closing his eyes and caressing the small of your back.

"That was...wow..."

"Uh huh." You whispered, shuffling yourself even closer so your head was now tucked underneath his chin and your arms and legs were tangled around each other, the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat and your mingled scents lulling you into a tranquil slumber.


	19. Chapter 19

Starting to stir a couple of hours later, you were just about to stretch out when your eyes snapped open, as you were vaguely aware of a hand resting over your hip from behind you underneath the blanket. In a reflex and still half asleep reaction, you flicked out your hidden blade and turned your head quickly, lunging out over your shoulder to whoever was at the back of you. A gasp stuck in your throat when a strong hand caught your wrist, your eyes widening in horror when you saw Shay holding you firmly, your blade millimetres from his unblinking eye.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" You blurted, retracting your weapon as quick as you had unleashed it when he continued to stare at you blankly. "I-I'm not used to waking up next to someone. I didn't mean..."

Your panic quickly dissipated when his grip loosened and he chuckled lowly, leaning in to give you a light kiss before twisting your arm slightly to get a better look at your blade.

"Well, now there's something I hope to change. How about we take this off for now ay? Just in case."

Smiling sheepishly and holding your arm where it was, you let him unclip your cuff and drop it on the bedside table before resuming his place behind you, draping his arm over your waist and nuzzling into your neck.

"Let's try this again the proper way? Morning love."

"Mmmm, morning." You simpered, your eyes fluttering shut as he placed a line of little lip bites around your shoulder and up to behind your ear. "You'll start me off again if you carry on doing that you know."

You felt him vibrate against you with a silent laugh as he skimmed his hand up your stomach and over your breasts, curling his finger under your chin to turn your head back towards him and delicately outline the contours of your face.

"What makes ya think that wasn't what I was tryin' to do?" He murmured huskily, nudging your nose with his and giving you a smouldering look that ignited you straight to your core.

"As if you have to try."

Turning yourself against him so you didn't strain your neck, your mouth found his with an insatiable need, your tongue stroking the seam of his lips in a probing invitation him to part them. His kiss was so sensually soft, with gentle authority, and inexplicably addictive as his tongue swam over yours with a heady eagerness that had been pent up for too long.

He swallowed your quavering gasp as his hand ghosted back down and cupped your breast, kneading and massaging while his thumb stroked over your nipple, making it pucker and harden almost instantly. While he lavished the same attention on the other, you reached around and brushed your fingers up his thigh, pulling away from his mouth and mischievously glaring at him when his hips pressed more firmly against you, making his already throbbing cock nestle snugly in the groove between your cheeks.

"Not a chance. Stop being so greedy." You giggled, spinning yourself in his arms so that you were now facing him.

"That's hardly something you can blame me for lass..."

He tried to look affronted when you tapped him on the nose to cut him short, but failed miserably, so he settled on a sultry grin when you grabbed his shoulder and pushed him onto his back, straddling over him and leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"Oh, I don't." Was your only reply, when you planned on doing exactly the same.

Now, it was your turn to be in control, your little smirk widening into a lascivious grin as you traced the line of his collarbone and the hollow of his neck, making him throw his head back and close his eyes with a soft sigh. You took the opportunity to have a better look at the scars that you had felt on him before; of which there were more than you initially realised, drinking in every detail and kissing each one in turn as you worked your way across his chest.

Nudging the blanket away with your feet as you shuffled down a little further, you stopped in your descent when you felt hard and sticky wet poking underneath your chin. You were literally speechless when you looked down, then back up again as he propped himself up on his elbows, his eyebrow raising as you just stared wild-eyed. 

_Well at least you got_ **one** _assumption about him right._

Seeing him like this for the first time had whirls of excitement and arousal running through you, and you could already feel a breathtaking tingling starting to form deep in your abdomen as your eyes continued to roam over the most intimate parts of him. Clearing your throat gently when you realised that you had just been gaping for several seconds, you met his slightly nervous gaze with an alluring wink, licking your lips in preparation for what quite evidently will be, a mouthful.

You continued brushing your lips downwards; over his stomach and the tops of his thighs until you were kneeling between his legs, your face inches from his twitching groin. Keeping your eyes on him, you lay one hand on his hip and gently wrapped the other around his base to hold him steady, slowly sticking out your tongue and using just the tip of it to draw a wet line up the thick vein underneath. The corner of your mouth curled when he jerked up at the sensation, so pressing down more firmly on his hip you engulfed the head without warning, suckling and rubbing your tongue on the sensitive underside which made him swallow back a groan and shoot his hand down to the back of your head.

The lustful contortion of his face was simply heavenly as you swirled your tongue around him, the twitching in your hand prompting you to hold him a bit more firmly and begin stroking him in time with the slight bobbing of your head. You slowly slid more of him into your mouth, savouring every inch until he nearly came to the back of your throat, very gently grazing him with your teeth as you drew back up. A tremor ran through you as he started growling out his lust, quaking mumblings of 'Ahhh' and 'Oh god' catching in his throat as you plunged over him again, sucking and pressing your tongue against him, flicking it over the groove whenever you reached the tip.

Now that he was nicely slicked up, you moved your other arm from his hip and took his shaft with both of your hands; one atop of the other, and used your mouth to encompass the rest, working him with teasingly slow strokes, thrilling as he leaked beads of arousal against your tongue. His eyes were almost black with lust and glazed over as he watched you pleasure him, his chest heaving with choked back moans at the erotic sight. You let go of him with one last suck, when the fingers that were stroking the back of your head cupped underneath your chin before he sat up entirely and slid his hands under your arms, encouraging you up to straddling over him again. 

"That felt a-amazing, I-I couldn't take it for much longer." He croaked before showering you with affectionate kisses and bites to your cheeks, collarbone and neck before capturing your lips hungrily.

You grabbed hold of his shoulders when he pulled you against him and lifted you higher, positioning himself so he was just poking at your entrance. Half sighing, half moaning in sheer delight as he slowly lowered you down, you shivered in his grasp when he wrapped his arms around you and buried his face in the valley between your breasts, your shifting to fully seat yourself on him making him inhale sharply and rasp against your soft mounds. Your prior intimacy had still left you slick inside, so much so, that you could feel every ripple of his mushroom head against your walls, already goading your sweet spot into a frenzy.

He leant back slightly as you began raising and lowering your hips, his eyes wandering down to the wet slapping sounds where your bodies repeatedly meshed and parted, _definitely_ loving what he saw judging by the tightening grip on your waist. To gain a little payback for his stopping you before, you squeezed yourself around him as you lifted yourself up; so only his head was inside you, hovering yourself there for a moment before plunging yourself back down on him. Hard.

The noise that shot from his mouth was indescribable as his face twisted in glorious overstimulation, adding to the fire that was rapidly growing inside you, so you did it again, adding in a swirl of your hips after you plummeted down.

"Unnghh! O-okay I get the hint!" He wheezed, grabbing your hips to slow you down.

You let out a gasping chuckle as he narrowed his eyes playfully and pulled at your legs, so they were now wrapped around his waist, crossing his own underneath you and laying his hands around your rear.

"Minx..." 

He punctuated his word by holding onto you firmly, sliding and grinding you towards him on his lap. A rush of babbling _ohmygod..fuck..nnng..oooooh!_ tore from you when he thrust in deeper than you ever thought possible, rubbing your g-spot in such a way that it seemed to connect with your clit and nipples, making pleasure coarse through your blood as fast as lightning with each tug of his hands.

Shays breathing was no more than ragged pants as he watched you throw your head back in exhilaration, your caterwauling like music to his ears as his chest pounded with fervent adoration. He embraced every little detail, twitches of bliss and startled gasps, pushing him towards the highest pinnacle of euphoria. He was _very_ close already. He knew he wouldn't be able to control himself for very long, having you on him like this; especially after your beautiful lips had been around him, but he could instinctively tell that you weren't as near as he was. There was **no** chance he was letting himself finish before you, but he needed help to assure that wouldn't happen. 

Letting go of you with one arm but still managing to keep the pace up with the other for a moment, he grasped your hand that was digging into his shoulder and lowered it down in between you both, making your fingers brush over your crease before snapping his own back to your hip.

You took the hint quickly, drenching your finger in your arousal and circling your clit frantically, the tension inside you becoming agonising as you tried to hold on, wanting to orgasm with him. You began crying out and pleading to him when your legs seized up, holding your breath in anticipation as you clenched almost painfully tight around his shaft, desperately craving relief.

That release came when he suddenly crashed his lips against yours and groaned loudly into your mouth when he exploded inside you, the overwhelming surge triggering the pounding of your walls, making you wail uncontrollably as the catalytic stimulation wreaked havoc through your body. You slumped against him as the rippling waves began to subside, your pulse slowing to the rhythm of his tired breathing in your ear.

"Well, I think I can definitely get used to waking up to _that_." You mumbled, catching your breath against his shoulder as he shuffled up slightly so he could lean up against the headboard.

"Aye. Me too lass. Me too..."

 

 

After a rather lengthy shower (Shay _insisting_ on washing every inch of you thoroughly), you got dressed into one of his shirts this time and, plodded your way upstairs in search of food.

"Moooorning!" You singsonged when you saw Gist sat at the kitchen table with his back to you, still a bit annoyed at him, but your good mood refused to let you hold a grudge.

Your brow furrowed when he didn't answer or even acknowledge you; he just sat there staring at his laptop, so you walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder firmly, cocking your head when he jumped in his seat and started fiddling with his ears.

"Sorry dear, I must have forgotten to take these out this morning."

Clapping your hand over your mouth when he opened his palm to show you a pair of earplugs and adorned a wicked grin, you felt your cheeks getting hotter by the second as your eyes ping-ponged between his hand and face.

"No need to be embarrassed, I _thoroughly_ enjoyed myself at the, erm, noise, but I did have to get some sleep eventually."

Dropping your hand down with a grimace when he winked at you and turned back to his computer to close it off, you poked him in the arm and shuffled over to the coffee machine, jabbing it on and opening several cupboards in search of mugs.

"You're perverse, you know that?"

"Whats he done now?!!"

You grinned when Shay came up behind you and planted a gentle kiss on your temple, then reached over to the only cupboard you hadn't opened yet and pulled out two mugs, setting them down in front of you on the counter.

"Nothing, he was just watching porn on his computer." You lied, figuring that you should keep that little tidbit to yourself.

As amusing as it would be to watch Shay throw Christopher overboard, you did need to get back home eventually. Giggling when Shay swatted Gist around the back of the head with the ends of his fingers, you turned back to making the coffee, wafting yourself when you started feeling slightly warmer.

"Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?"

You copied the slap that Shay had done when Christopher threw you a knowing smirk, cackling when he rubbed the back of his head with a wince.

"What is this, gang up on Gist day?!"

"You're gettin' off light mate, trust me. If the lass weren't here, I'd be sticking my foot where the sun don't shine."

You held your ribs when you couldn't stop the peals of laughter bubbling out of you as Gist slumped back in his chair and muttered something under his breath, resigning to the fact that he was going to be a verbal punching bag for at least the next few days.

"Hmph. Well, you'll get tired of poking at me eventually. As for it being warm dear, I'm assuming you haven't been outside yet? I've brought us to the Azores to get more supplies as we're going to be out longer than we originally intended, the weather is always good here."

Immediately clamming up as soon as he mentioned the Azores, you ran out of the kitchen and down the hallway towards the upper deck, squinting when you got to the top of the stairs at the bright sunshine beaming down from the cloudless sky. Leaning on the rail when your eyes adjusted to the light, a wide grin spread over your face when you couldn't believe how much your fortune had changed over the past couple of days.

Here you were, on a luxurious yacht with a gorgeous and downright deadly man, in _and_ out of bed, now heading towards a beautiful island in the middle of the Atlantic without a considerable care in the world.

_This was turning out to be some vacation indeed._


	20. Chapter 20

Thankfully, one of the few things that you had managed to salvage from your bag, was your purse. The cash was destroyed, but all of your bank cards had seemingly remained intact. After a quick bit of research on Gists laptop while you were docking, you found out that there was a shopping mall in the middle of the city, giving you a perfect chance to replace most of your things.

Jumping off the deck while the men did their thing about sorting out the rest of the ship, you spent a few minutes admiring the ornate arched gates before deciding to walk into the centre, eager to take in the sights while you were here. It had taken you by the time you had reached the towns centre to stop looking over your shoulder as you walked, even though you were in a place you had never been to before, surrounded by people you had never met, you couldn't seem to switch off completely. You slapped yourself lightly around your face and tried to stop being so paranoid as you entered the mall, your frown instantly changing into a face-splitting grin as your eyes wandered over the dozens of shops and boutiques in front of you.

 

 

Several hours later, you were now ladened with bags, trying to figure out the best way to carry them all as you walked out of the lingerie store, when you suddenly spotted something familiar out of the corner of your eye. Dropping to the floor and pretending to rummage through one of the bags, you subtly turned yourself so you could see better, a sinking feeling dragging at the pit of your stomach as you stared at the back of a man who was wearing a light blue polo shirt. _Pull yourself together, there's got be a million people with that colour top..._ You held your breath as the man slowly turned around, screaming internally when you could now see the emblem that was stitched on his front breast pocket.

A Jackdaw.

_Of course it would be. Why would you be so nieve as to think that even something as simple as shopping wouldn't turn out to be a disaster?!!?_

Grabbing your bags up as fast as you could, you spun around to try and make a quick exit before anyone here recognised you, dropping everything again when you crashed into someone that was walking behind you in your haste.

"Oi! Watch where you're...(name)?!"

You just stood there in a state of dread for a moment, until it dawned on you that it actually didn't matter that you had been seen here, it was only _how_ you got here was the problem, and that you could easily blag your way out of. Putting your hands on your hips with a huff and staring at all of your things now scattered over the ground, you stuck your foot out to stop your bottle of perfume rolling away and gestured to the person you had crashed into, suggesting he help you pick it all up.

"Don't you think you should be watching where _you're_ going Eddie? If anything broke, you're replacing it."

Snatching your new knickers off him when he picked them up and began twirling them around his finger with a lewd grin, you just grabbed everything you could and quickly stuffed it in biggest bag, before he could rifle through any more of your shopping.

"Look at what we've got here! You should model them for me." He jeered, prompting your eyes to roll pretty much to the back of your skull.

"You wish. What are you doing in the Azores? Thought you had stuff to do in London?"

You stumbled slightly when he suddenly linked his free arm through yours and began walking with you to the mall's exit, scoffing when the bag he was carrying clattered about with what you assumed were half a dozen bottles of rum.

"Fixing my ship. Got into a bit of a scuffle chasing down a piss pot Templar. Lucky for me that I started changing the sails back to the old-fashioned way a few weeks ago, or I'd have really been fucked! What about you? Connor said you were going on holiday, didn't believe him till now!"

Stopping for a moment when you got outside so you could shuffle the things about in your bag as it was lopsided, you figured that you could use this opportunity to probe for more information as to how he knew Shay was on the Morrigan, and just perhaps, _why_ he was chasing him.

"Jumped on the first boat that was headed somewhere warm, didn't exactly have a plan as it was last minute. A Templar? All the way here!? Talk about branching out...."

"He's working alone I think, the one that threatened you on that last mission? Evie saw him escaping and followed him to the marina, jumping on a ship with red sails. I was already on my way there when Jacob called me, he's got a right bee in his bonnet about it. Where's your phone by the way? Tried calling you to see if you to see if you wanted to come along, but it kept going to voicemail."

 **Now** you started to panic.

Clearing your throat and changing direction to head towards the taxi ranks, you quickly took a deep breath to calm yourself while you had your back to him, soon regaining your composure and plastering on the best fake grin that you had.

"I lost it, at the warehouse I think? Not had a chance to send out for a new one yet. Well, I hope you enjoy catching him. I must dash, got a few other things I want to do today."

"Yeah, I bet you have.." He snorted, making you look down at yourself when his eyes slowly roamed over you. "That's a blokes shirt, been having a taste of the local _grub_ eh?"

Feeling your face starting to get warmer, you knew you wouldn't be able to hide your expression this time so you played along with his teasing, winking and wiggling your eyebrows suggestively.

"Hmm, I **am** on vacation..."

You burst out laughing when he pouted in jealousy and held his arms out as if to suggest that you go with him, waving your hand out to call the next taxi that was speeding down the road.

"Well, when you get bored of all these tossers and want a proper good time, I'll be at the west end of the docks till tomorrow morning."

"Bye Eddie." You chuckled, jumping in the cab and slamming the door shut before he could keep you here any longer.

Throwing the driver a handful of Euros to head to the east side of the docks _rápido_ , you slumped down in the seat and held your face in your hands, starting to feel weary as the times you had to dig yourself out of a situation were becoming more and more frequent. Your wallowing in self-pity was soon ground to a halt however, when you were slung across the seat as the driver sped around the next corner, more than relieved that he seemed to think he was on a race track and not on the back roads of an island.

The cab could only take you as far as the arches so you had to sprint the rest of the way, hoping that you had a decent amount of time to warn the others when you couldn't see the Jackdaw from where you were, as the other end of the marina was barely distinguishable in the distance.

 

 

"Lass, what's wrong??" Shay exclaimed when he caught you in his arms, as you threw your bag down and ran across the deck.

"You've got to hide the sails! Eddie's here, moored on the other side. He's looking for you."

His face twisted in rage as he let you go quickly and ran down the steps, screaming for Gist to get off his ass to come up and help him take the sails down before anyone recognised them.

After trying to assist as much as you could, (which wasn't much as you had no idea how rigging worked) the sails were now safely hidden away and you were now keeping out of sight in the downstairs lounge area, with your legs propped up on Shays lap and filling him in on what you had found out from Eddie.

"...So Evie spotted you and saw you get on the ship, they've been following you since."

"Fuck. Well, I'm blaming you for that one love. Still, don't explain how they found us though."

You cocked your head quizzically when the corner of his mouth twitched up in a smirk, laying his hand on your calf and trailing his fingers up it absentmindedly.

"What do you mean, my fault? I didn't get you noticed?"

"No, but I stayed longer than I should have done, to check that you were okay after you got out."

Sniggering and shaking your head softly at him for doing something so foolish and nearly getting himself caught, you couldn't help but feel a swell of adoration at his protectiveness over you. Usually you would have hated it, this time however, it didn't annoy you in the slightest.

"Still not my fault." You chuckled. "Anyway, if anyone's to blame, it's Jacob. Think he's still pissed because of what happened at the ball, and then you went and wrecked his rope launcher. He loves that thing, probably more than his own sister."

You winced when his fingers dug into your thigh at the mention of Jacobs name, grabbing his hand and prying it off one digit at a time when you looked up, to see he was staring at the wall and gritting his teeth with a disgruntled expression.

"Seems like he's not the only one with a grudge... What did he do to you?!"

Sitting upright when he rubbed his face with the hand you weren't holding, you straddled his legs and cupped his chin to turn him to face you, confused and slightly unnerved when he wouldn't look you in the eye as he spoke.

"You mean apart from chasin' me through Boston? When Gist told you about the warehouse, that weren't the first time he tried to get ahold of ya. He went to the Curio shop to try an catch you alone, but you never were. You should have really thought about closing the curtains..."

You just sat there numb for a moment, your throat feeling like it was closing up and your stomach had a lead weight in it, as he now he looked more upset than anything else. Even though you and Shay weren't precisely amicable at that point, you had an idea how he was feeling about it, because you had been the same way when you went into his hotel room that night. Which is why you were surprised when he draped your hands over his shoulders and wove his arms around your waist, his features softening when he finally looked at you.

"Well, that's all in the past. Don't mean I wouldn't wipe that smug grin off his face if I got the chance..." He trailed off for a moment, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. After about a minute of agonising silence, he eventually spoke, his voice nothing more than a cracking whisper as he gazed into your eyes.

"Can I ask ya something lass?"

Softly nodding when he shuffled you closer to him, you raised your eyebrows as a little smirk crept up his face when you started trembling under his fingertips.

"This. Us. Is it just a fling? Or...."

Cutting him off by closing the gap between you and catching his lips with yours passionately, you reached behind you and took his hand, moving it to lay on your chest so he could feel how fast your heart was racing at being next to him. Pulling away and resting your head on his, you gave him a soft smile when his longing eyes flickered between his palm and your face.

"What do you think? I didn't go through all of this to run away now. I'm not good at these deep conversations, but I meant what I said last night. This is where I want to stay."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

You grinned when he slipped his fingers just under your shirt and tugged you to him again, kissing you so deeply that your head swam with an array of tumbling emotions, and a _very_ dangerous fluttering of your heart. Breaking away with an annoyed sigh when you heard someone clear their throat to the left of you, both you and Shay turned your heads and glared at Christopher when he just stood there with his laptop, holding onto it as if he had the crown jewels themselves in his arms.

"So sorry to interrupt, but this can't wait. I believe I have found a solution to our sailing problem."

Sliding off of Shays lap with a giggle when he tickled down your side, you leant up against him when he put his arm around your shoulders, and rested the computer on his knees when Gist handed it to him. Your brow immediately furrowed when you saw what was on the screen, staring at it in disbelief and zoning out when the men started formulating a plan.

"I-I'll do it..." You whispered when you vaguely heard Gist saying that it had to be done later tonight, as you wouldn't get an opportunity like this again.

Both of them just stared at you when you finally managed to tear your eyes away from the schematics of the Jackdaw, sitting up and raising your chin in resolve when they started spurting out 'No way' and 'Too risky'.

"Stop!!" You barked, making them both shut up instantly. "Have either of you ever been on the Jackdaw? Do you know where he posts his men? Are they _your_ friends that we're stealing from?! **This.** Is not debatable. I'm going."

Turning the laptop so you could zoom in on the engine part, that looked marginally similar to Shays broken one when they nodded somberly at you, you tapped your finger on your chin thoughtfully as you plotted the fastest route in, and out in your head.

"I don't know much about engineering. Do you need this whole bit? It doesn't look the same."

Gist sat down on the other side of you when you traced your finger around the part that was highlighted in red, tapping the arrow button on the keyboard to bring up a more detailed photo of the mechanism.

"It's close, I should be able to modify it to fit our motor. Thankfully the Jackdaw has been upgraded sufficiently enough to be compatible with ours, although it won't be nearly as powerful. You'll need to disconnect it here, here, and here."

"That's it? Two screws and a pipe? Piece of cake." You chuckled, sighing when you turned to Shay and saw he was scowling.

"Look. Without this, we're stuck here. We can't use the sails, or the engine, and it's not like I've never done anything like this before. Don't worry."

"Would you worry if it were me going, lass?"

You knew he'd got you there, so you just shrugged your shoulders, but the look on your face obviously gave you away when he handed the laptop back to Christopher and, slid his hands underneath you to drag you back onto his lap.

"Exactly. Gist, do us a favour would ya mate? Piss off."

Biting your lips together when Christopher scoffed and rolled his eyes as he got up, a bubble of laughter made it's way out of you when he hovered in the doorway for a second and turned back, with a look of mock horror spread over his face as Shay slipped his hand down your shirt.

"And you say I'm bad. You pair are insatiable! Do try not to make a mess, the upholstery is terribly difficult to clean."


	21. Chapter 21

Dropping down on the bed breathless and _very_ satisfied, you hummed softly and stifled a yawn when Shay rolled over and nestled up to your side, tracing lazy circles up and down your stomach.

"You're just trying to wear me out so I'm too tired to go, aren't you?"

He chuckled against you and drew up his hand to tilt your head to face him, planting feathery kisses over your eyes, cheeks and lips before getting up and heading over to his dresser, pulling it open and rummaging through the top drawer.

"As if I would love. What kind of man do you think I am? Besides, I'm going with ya. An _that's_ not debatable."

You propped yourself up on your elbows and tried to look annoyed at his demand, but you found it impossible as your eyes drifted over his naked body affectionately while he continued searching, walking back over and sitting down next to you with a smirk after he found what he was looking for and caught you staring. You squeaked when he suddenly leant over and kissed you tenderly, making you giddy with the warmth that was swimming throughout you.

"What was that for?" 

"You have any idea what it does to me when ya look at me like that?"

"Like what?" You asked as innocently as you could, biting the corners of your mouth to try and stop a cheeky grin spreading over your face.

He gave you a stare that would have made your knees weak if you hadn't already been laying down, before grabbing the leather pouch he had dug out of his drawer, flipping it open and handing it to you.

"Sedative. I'm guessing you wanna do this with as little bloodshed as possible?"

"How very perceptive of you Mr Cormac. I knew there was a reason I like you." You chuckled, plucking one of the needles out of its casing and narrowing your eyes at it in scrutiny.

"Like me ay? Easy on the compliments love, my head won't fit through the door at this rate."

You erupted in a fit of giggles when he nudged you with his arm and got up to get dressed, picking up your bag of shopping that you assumed Gist had brought down earlier and, tipping its contents out on top of the duvet in encouraging you to do the same. Sliding the needle back in the pouch carefully, you got up and started rifling through your things; pulling out a pair of jeans and a tank top, the corner of your mouth twitching when you came to the half-opened packet from the lingerie shop.

"So, that sedative, how long does it take to work?"

"It's quick, a few seconds. Maybe a bit longer on that gigantic mate of yours...."

Grimacing at the thought of subduing Connor like that, you looked up through your eyelashes after you had finished putting on your new red silk knickers and matching bra when you realised Shay had stopped talking, snickering when you saw he was just stood there ogling and his jaw was pretty much on the floor.

"Fuck the engine part. We can just stay here." He growled, diving on you and knocking you back down onto the bed.

 

 

After _finally_ managing to get dressed, you sat on the main deck now that there wasn't anybody about this time of night, starting to feel apprehensive at what you were about to do. You had stolen from people more times than you could count, never from friends though, and it put you on edge. But you refused to let it show, feigning an air of confidence as Gist bounded up the steps in his usual chipper way with a bundle of fabric in his arms.

"This is for you. I couldn't get the water stains out, so I dyed it instead. I also fixed the hole in the arm, I hope that's alright."

Taking your coat off of him when he handed it out to you, your eyebrows raised in astonishment when you shook it out and pulled it on, quite liking that it was now black instead of dark brown.

"Now you're a tailor? Is there anything you can't do?" You sniggered, stroking the fabric gingerly as it now felt softer after his amending.

"It doesn't hurt to have many skills, my dear, especially when you have a life like ours!"

Shrugging your shoulders in agreement after finishing doing up your coat, your attention was pulled away as Shay jumped down from the mast after finishing hooking the last sail back up, so you can make a quick getaway before anyone realises what's happened. Your chest fluttered when you saw he was wearing the same thing as what he had on at the warehouse, spinning you around with a grin when he reached you to tie something around your neck. Pulling up the mask, so it covered your mouth and nose and, raising your hood so now only your eyes were visible, you let out a muffled chuckle as you weren't completely unaware that you were now a mirror image of Shay.

"Awww, how splendid. Matching his and hers, positively _adorable!_ "

You elbowed Christopher in the gut with a scoff for his mocking; grinning when he pouted and rubbed where you'd hit him, before making your way to the side of the ship and jumping over the rail, landing elegantly on the walkway and taking a deep breath when Shay leapt down behind you. Staring up at the sky when he laced his fingers with yours and squeezed gently, you felt slightly better as you knew he had somewhat experienced and understood what you were going through right now.

"Let's get this over with." You grumbled, breaking into a sprint down the dock towards the other side of the marina.

 

 

Ducking and weaving between the shipping crates that were stacked about, you stopped about fifty yards from the Jackdaw, watching Shay intently as he poked his head around the side with his eyes narrowing in concentration as he stared at the ship.

"How many?"

"Ten. Five up top, one at the helm, four down below. The rest are asleep in their quarters."

Letting out a heavy breath with a slow smile when that was the skeleton crew you were expecting, you took the earpiece that Shay was holding out to you and pulled your hood down briefly to slip it in, giving him a thumbs up when you heard the faint crackle of static.

"Let's go. I'm in charge remember."

Creeping down the side of the ship when he gestured for you to lead the way, you lept up and caught the rail when you got to the stern, shimmying across until you reached the lifeboat hanging over the other side. Holding where you were until the first guard walked past, you pulled yourself up and silently tiptoed behind him, clapping your hand over his mouth and winding your arm around his neck, squeezing tightly.

When he eventually stopped thrashing about, you dragged him to the side and balanced him on the edge, tipping him over to where Shay was waiting in the boat so he could cover him with the tarp, so that no one would spot the body. You took down the next crew member that was slightly further down the deck just as fast, more than impressed at the tranquillisers strength when you quickly pulled his head to the side and jabbed one of the needles into his neck, catching him as he dropped to the floor in mere seconds.

Hiding under the nearby stairs when Shay climbed up and joined you, you signalled for him to take out the one on the left when a duo came down the steps, not knowing what hit them as they were too busy engrossed in conversation to notice you jump out and with one swift strike, knock them out cold.

Now that the way to the lower deck was clear; the last crewman up here being on the other side of the ship, you split up as you went down the twin staircases, almost in a trance as you hugged the wall and navigated through the sparsely lit corridor. Shame began to ball at the pit of your gut as you turned the corner to head towards the bottom-most deck, as you were feeling exhilarated at doing covert work again, even if it wasn't under the best of circumstances. It was your subspecialty after all, and you had missed doing what you had been trained for.

"Shay, I'm near the engine room. How close are you?"

_"You go... bit sidetracked...two left down here..."_

Pressing your hand to your ear when you could barely hear him through the interference that being so far below deck was causing, you scrambled behind some old rigging and pressed yourself against the wall, when you heard footsteps and two familiar voices heading your way.

**"Oh come on big guy, just let me have a look! I promise I won't break it!"**

_"Jacob. For the hundredth time, No. My crossbow is not a toy, and I doubt very much my grandfather would appreciate you leaving a string of holes across his ship."_

Half sighing, half sniggering as the voices trailed off to where you had come from, you jumped out and hoped that they were the two that Shay was talking about, running the rest of the way to your goal. Silently closing the door behind you, you slowly walked across the steel flooring in search of the part you needed, clueless as to where it actually was as you had never been down here before. Spotting a manual on top of one of the instrument panels, you opened it up and began flicking through the sheets rapidly, hoping it would shed some light as to where the thing was located.

Sliding behind the console quickly when you heard the click of the door, you poked your head just around the edge of it a few seconds later and breathed a sigh of relief when you saw that it was Shay that had entered the room.

"Bit lost love?" He chuckled when you got up from your hiding spot and, noticed the book that was still in your hand.

Chucking the guide on the floor behind you with a pang of humiliation, you pulled your hood down and walked around to the second part of the engine confidently, pinpointing the device thanks to the last page that you had managed to speed read.

"Not at all. Run into a spot of trouble did you?"

Flicking out your hidden blade and prying off the pipe that held the component in place; the two screws following quickly, you held the unit in triumph for a moment before dropping it into a drawstring bag that you had brought with you, tying it to your coat through the belt so you could keep your hands free.

"Nothing I couldn't handle, they won't be waking up anytime soon. Let's get out of here."

Pulling your hood back up and starting to make your way back towards the door, you stopped and cocked your head quizzically when Shay just stood there, staring at something at the back of the room.

"Wait, there is something else we can do while we're here. This way."

Following him down to where he was looking, you became even more perplexed when he picked up a thick metal pipe that was propped up against the wall before grabbing the top of one of the compartments, wincing when the hinges creaked loudly as he lifted it.

"Ya feeling strong love?"

"Why? What are you... Ohhhh. Sneaky." You giggled when you poked your head over and saw two heavy steel cables attached to something that looked like a winch. "I'm guessing these control the rudder?"

Standing in front of him when he nodded and wove the pipe through the cables, you gripped onto it firmly and waited for his signal as he mimicked your pose at the side of you, pushing with all your might when he said 'Go'. Your muscles felt like they were burning as you continued to press down, but even as hard as you were pushing, the cables refused to budge.

"Shay, this isn't working, we've got to try another way."

Looking about to try and find something else that would help, you suddenly had an idea when you saw the conduits running across the ceiling just above where you were. Climbing up and standing on the pipe with one foot in front of the other; using the ducting to help you keep your balance when Shay followed you up, you shuffled down and then held onto him tightly, so your combined weights were on the very tip.

"Jump on three. One, two, three!"

Bending your knees and slamming down as forcefully as you could, your eyes widened when the cables gave way with a colossal boom and then an echoing whipping sound, the pipe falling from under your feet and sending you plummeting to the floor. You wheezed when your back hit the ground; knocking the breath out of you for a moment, but you scrambled up quickly to help Shay up and, check each other over to see if you were hurt after he closed the lid, so it wasn't obvious what you had just done.

"Shit. There's no way no one heard that, is there another way out of here?"

"The vents maybe?! But you're not going to fit through there."

You didn't have time to look for another way as Shay spun around and glared at the wall on the other side of the room, dragging you down behind the partition moments before the door burst open and Connor barged in, shortly followed by Jacob. You held your breath as they looked around frantically to try and find out where the noise had come from, scrunching your fists up tight to stop them from trembling when they started edging closer to where you were. Inching back when you felt Shay tug at your coat, you turned to him and shook your head fiercely when he went to get by you, grabbing his arm to stop him in his tracks.

"What are you doing?!" You hissed, thankful that you had your earbuds in so he could still hear your mouse like whisper. 

"I won't let them see you lass. I'll lead them away, get that part to Gist. I'll catch you up."

Crouching there speechless as he brushed your cheek with the back of his hand before getting up slowly and revealing himself, you only just managed to resist the urge to poke your head around to see what was going on, instead, flinching when you heard Connor and Jacob growl out in unison.

_"You."_


	22. Chapter 22

"I heard ya were lookin' for me. Well, here I am."

Tensing up when you heard three sets of hidden blades being flicked out, your eyes darted about as you contemplated what the hell you were going to do next. You were torn. Torn between doing what you should, and doing what was right. Your closest friend and your lover were about to go into conflict, and the only way to stop it was to come out and, most likely be hunted down for the rest of your life. Shay had exposed himself to save you, so revealing yourself to help him now was not an option, as his sacrifice would have been all for nothing. It felt like you had been internally debating for hours, but in reality it was only a few seconds, Jacobs snarling voice pulling you out of your turmoil.

**"You're not getting away this time you prick. I've been waiting to get payback, and oh you're gonna get it good."**

Eventually deciding on following through with what Shay had told you to do, you flicked out your blade and quickly undid the screws to the grate next to you, holding your breath and waiting for a moment when you could make your getaway. That came when you heard Shay chuckle mockingly at Jacobs threat, quickly followed by an explosion which you now recognised to be one of his smoke bombs. As soon as you spied the smog and the clash of metal on metal rang through the air, you yanked off the vent and hurriedly slid yourself inside, pulling the grate back into place to hide all traces of your escape.

You had no idea which way you were going, so you shimmied your way through the narrow duct until you came to another outlet, peering out of it so you could gain your bearings. Never before had you wished you had eagle vision like some of your other associates; quite content with having enhanced perception, but you now found yourself almost praying for it, as you narrowed your eyes to try and see in the almost pitch blackness of the room next to where you were. You felt your pulse jump in your throat when the lights suddenly flickered on, pressing yourself as hard as you could to the piping behind you when a pair of booted feet appeared in front of you.

"Jeysus christ, where the hell is everybody?! Jacob, where are you??"

Not moving a muscle when you heard the faint crackle of a walkie-talkie in between Edwards pacing, you took it as good news when he threw it to the floor and, stomped on it in anger when there was no reply. You were incredibly grateful for Eddie's impatience as he stormed out as fast as he had come in, letting your body relax slightly now that you knew where you were and, still undetected. Closing your eyes and mapping out the ship in your head again, you slid yourself further along and took the next left you came to, figuring that this would be the quickest way from the crews sleeping quarters to the main deck.

Double checking that you were completely alone, you almost cursed out loud when you slithered out of the last part of the shaft, clambering up and brushing yourself off with a scowl when you saw that you were now at the helm, and not on the mid-deck like you expected to be. Keeping your head low as you knew that what was left of the crew would be up and about now after the commotion, you peeked out of the window, to try and find a clear way off the ship.

You slapped your forehead when you spied several monitors to the left of you, forgetting that Eddie was a huge fan of keeping an eye on his crew to make sure that they weren't skiving off or doing anything that they shouldn't be. But before you could scan through the camera feeds, you froze to the spot and, felt sick to your stomach when you saw a smaller screen standing alone on top of the central dashboard, your blood running colder with each blip of the display.

Even though you thought your phone was damaged beyond repair, it seemed that the tracking chip had survived being immersed in seawater. The marker with your name above it on the screen was faint and very vague; most likely due to a weak signal, but it was working enough to show that your phone was here somewhere on Ponta Delgada. 

It was all your fault.

How they found the Morrigan and were able to attack, the reason Shay was being hunted, was all because of you. Dropping to your knees as remorse flooded throughout you, you vowed to spend every waking moment making all of this right. Now was the time to choose, the Assassins, or the Templars, but the conflict burning inside wouldn't allow you to make that decision just yet. The only minor salvation you had, was that maybe they assumed that Shay had stolen your phone; probably to try and hack it to gain Assassin secrets or something, which is why Eddie hadn't killed you where you stood at the shopping mall.

Using the dash to pull yourself up as you were now trembling like a leaf, you cried out and grabbed the surveillance monitor nearest to you; your fingers gripping so hard that they began to tingle with the lack of blood running through them. A pricking started building up in your eyes as you stared at the screen, watching Connor drag an unconscious Shay by the foot down a long, white corridor.

Rage, panic, guilt, all of this and more consumed you as you dropped your hands when the men moved out of sight of the camera, but you had no time to do anything about it as the door suddenly banged open behind you, one of the crew bursting in and standing behind you with a gun pointed straight at your head. 

"Don't. Move."

At that very moment, the white-hot storm of torment inside thrashed about so fiercely that you seemed to vibrate with it, raising to an excruciating peak, until... Nothing. No anger, no hurt, just a peaceful calmness as time seemed to stop around you. And that's when you heard it. A heartbeat, slow and rhythmic, but strong, coming from several metres below where you were stood.

"Shay...."

Without a second thought, you spun around and smacked the crewman's hand away before he could take a shot, flicking out your hidden blade and sinking it straight into his throat, not even flinching when crimson blood spurted all over your arm from where you had severed the artery. You stared at him callously for a moment as he fell to the floor with a strangled gargle, forcing you to roll him out of the way when he blocked the vent you had come out of. Turning back to the monitor briefly to make a mental note of where you had seen Shay being hauled off; disregarding it when you had the instinct that you didn't need to, you dropped to your knees and threw yourself back into the duct, crawling as fast as you could back down to the bottom deck.

 

 

Kicking the rat away that was scrambling over your leg while you lay as still as possible, trying to concentrate as being in the metal shaft was making the pulse you were following echo slightly, you used your tiptoes to shuffle yourself further down when it became clear again. Peering down when you could feel you were in the right place, you strained yourself when you could see Shay crumpled on the floor; thankfully with his mask and hood still up, but only Connor and Jacobs feet as they loomed over and argued about what to do with him.

**"Come on, let me kill him! Look what he did to my face!"**

_"Oh shut up Frye, stop being such a pussy. Here, you're dripping blood all over my floor."_ Eddie barked as he burst through the door, and chucked him a towel from what you could see.

Your eyes were dragged away when you saw Shays' hands clench up tightly behind his back; but kept the rest of himself perfectly still so the assassins didn't know he was awake, making you remember that you still had in your earpiece in when you heard his shallow breathing in your ear.

"Shay, can you hear me? Wiggle your finger if you can." You whispered, knowing that you wouldn't be heard over the continued bickering about his fate.

Letting out a heavy silent breath when you saw his index finger twitch, you managed to twist yourself so you could dig into the inner pocket of your coat, gritting your teeth when you could only find a single sedative needle.

"I'm in the ducting above you. I've only got one tranquiliser left, who do you want me to use it on? One tap for yes, two for no."

You sighed when he immediately jerked his finger twice, from what you assumed was him saying no to your helping him escape.

"This is no time to argue! And it's not like you're in a position to stop me." You hissed, turning the catches on the vent almost all of the way so only the slightest of movements would make it drop. "Right. Eddie?"

Growling slightly when he didn't move at all this time, you lowered your voice even further, giving him one more chance before going at this with, or without his help.

"Eddie....?"

Finally. Two taps.

"Jacob?"

You already knew what the answer was going to be for him, so you weren't at all surprised when the reply was a no.

"Connor."

Swallowing hard when the expected one flick came, you snapped your head to the side when Jacob hobbled into view, wincing as a sharp hiss and groan rang in your ear when he booted Shay straight in the gut.

**"Fine. Interrogate him then! But when you're done, he's mine."**

Not knowing if Shay was in any condition to fight, you quickly studied every detail now that both Eddie and Jacob were in your sights, hoping to use everything you could to your advantage as there was little chance of you being able to defeat both men by yourself. Eddie had a minor sway in his step so you knew that he had probably been drinking for the past few hours, slowing his reaction times considerably and, as you were already faster than him, that would help no end. 

"Impressive...." You whispered as you scrutinised Jacob, making Shays body vibrate slightly with what you guessed was a suppressed laugh.

He had a hefty gash across the bridge of his nose that was still weeping blood, his left eye was almost swollen shut, and judging from the way he held his arm around himself, most likely a cracked rib or two. But the most crucial detail was his limp. One swift hit on his knee would have him collapsing to the floor, unable to pursue you. You hoped.

Seeing that you were out of time; Eddie taking a few steps forward and dragging Shay up by the scruff of his coat, you turned yourself so you could jump down legs and not head first, poising yourself in a crouching position just above the opening. 

Hopping forward on the balls of your feet, you knocked the grate out of the way and lept down quickly, flinging the needle in Connors direction before you had even landed. The second you saw it was implanted at the base of his neck, you ducked down and swept your leg; so it collided with the back of Jacobs' knee, making him fall to the deck and scream in agony.

"What the fuck?!? There's two of them???"

Flipping back when Eddie had let go of Shay in shock, you aimed yourself just right so the tip of your boot clipped him under the chin, sending him toppling and crashing against the wall. Not giving him a chance to gain his bearings, Shay suddenly lunged out from behind you and followed with a resounding punch straight in his jaw, leaving him not entirely knocked out, but incapacitated enough for now.

You yelped when Connor stumbled forwards and grabbed your shoulders, grasping at your hood in trying to pull it down, just managing it as he fell to his knees when the sedative finally kicked in. Thankfully, his eyes fluttered shut before he was able to look up at you, and Shay had manoeuvred himself to be in Jacobs line of sight while you hastily tugged it back up.

Now you were concealed again, you stood next to Shay and looked down on Jacob; who was still clutching his knee but was now scowling at both of you, expecting to feel upset, but you weren't. A touch of pity maybe, but other than that, nothing came.

Shay ducked down and plucked a dart out of his coat pocket, hovering it over Jacobs' neck with one hand and grabbing him by his shirt with the other, yanking him up so their faces were mere inches apart.

"I suggest you stop chasin' after me, or next time I won't be so forgiving."

"Never," Jacob growled, spitting on Shays boot as he jabbed the needle in his neck.

Turning to Shay when he took hold of your hand and pulled his mask down after Jacob had passed out, you did the same with a concerned look in your eyes when he gently rubbed the back of his head and cringed.

"You okay?"

"Just dandy love. Are you?!" He mumbled, his eyes drifting over the darkened patches of your coat, which was unmistakeably, drying blood.

"Yep, don't worry, it's not mine."

His eyes narrowed slightly as you just shrugged your shoulders; completely unfazed at killing someone even though you had been dead set against it, but he dismissed it quickly as he knew you had no time to discuss it here.

"Well, I reckon _now_ we're about even. Let's go."

You chuckled as you drew your mask back up and raised your eyebrows at Eddie, who was mumbling something about wenches in his delirious state, before running out the door and out off the ship before anyone woke up.


	23. Chapter 23

You made it back to the Morrigan with little hassle, as you had managed to avoid most of the crew that were scampering about aimlessly in trying to figure out what had happened. Tossing the bag with the engine part in it to Gist; who was waiting for you as soon as you had boarded, you took a moment to double check that no one had followed you, figuring you had about half an hour before any kind of pursuit would be made.

"I suggest we go, now."

Christopher nodded and ran up to the helm as you followed Shay downstairs and into the living room, grabbing the first aid kit that had been left out on the deck for 'just in case' on the way. Tugging your mask and hood down, you held on to the back of the sofa when the ship suddenly jolted, feeling more at ease now you knew that you were underway.

"Come on, let's have a look at you."

"That Connor sure packs a punch, but lass, I'm fine. I don't need looking after. Actually..."

Rolling your eyes with a scoff when he perched himself on the arm of the sofa and pulled his hood down with a devilish gleam in his eye, you cupped his chin and turned his head gently, grimacing when you saw an inch long gash at the back of his head, accompanied by a lump the size of an egg.

"Gist was right, you are insatiable."

Grabbing a pad from the kit, you gingerly dabbed at the wound to try and clean up some of the blood that had dried and matted around it so you could take a better look, the corner of your mouth twitching when he didn't even flinch at your probing.

"Aye, but lucky for me you're just as bad. Well, I guess that could have gone better, hopefully it'll be a while before they start followin' us again. Least they won't be able to catch us this time."

Dropping the gauze as you froze for a moment, you spun around and ran as fast as your legs would carry you up the stairs and towards the helm, nearly ripping the door off its hinges as you burst through it.

"Gist! Where's my phone?!!"

"What? It's on the counter in the kitchen, why..."

Turning on your heel, you grabbed hold of the rail when you saw Shay bounding up the steps, leaping over so you landed on the middle deck and sprinted down to the kitchen without missing a beat. Spying the bag on the side, you ripped it open and tipped it's entire contents on the floor, stamping down on your phone with the heel of your boot, just as Shay barged through the door.

"(Name), what the hell's the matter?"

Rifling through the grains of rice and the shattered pieces of your phone, you picked up the small, thin microchip that had been attached to the battery, holding it between your thumb and forefinger so he could see it.

"This is how they managed to find us. I-It's my fault." You mumbled, lowering your head when Shay took it off you and glared at it.

"It's not your fault. Bloody assassins."

Your brow furrowed and your eyes roamed about the floor as he stood there contemplating what to do with the chip, pondering why you weren't feeling guilty about being tracked.

"Shay, there's something else..." You whispered, wondering if what happened on the helm of the Jackdaw had anything to do with why at this moment, you had zero emotions.

Swallowing hard and taking a step closer to him when he looked back up at you, you grabbed his coat by the lapel and pulled him towards you the rest of the way, pressing your lips softly against his. _Please don't be broken... Please don't be broken..._ You chanted over and over in your head, grinning against his mouth when your stomach was fluttering, and a warm tingle spread throughout you.

"You know I'd never complain about you wantin' a kiss, but what was that about?" He breathed huskily, winding his arms around your waist as he leant against the countertop.

"Something happened to me after I found out about the tracker, and then when I saw you'd been caught. I was so, angry. Upset. Then it all just went away, like I was numb. But then, after I couldn't feel anything, I-I don't know how to describe it. I could hear your heart beating, I could _feel_ it. That's how I managed to get to you so quickly..."

You trailed off when he was just staring at you wide-eyed, then a flicker of realisation settling in with a soft smile as he pulled you even firmer against him.

"You know what it is?!"

"I'm not sure, but I think so. Sounds like Eagle _sense_. It's rare, very rare, only been two, maybe three known cases of it. But it's always been the oldest and wisest of assassins that have it, and you don't have the vision, so I can't see how."

"So, that's why I can't feel anything?"

"There's always some kind of price to pay, for everything, but I don't know that much about what it actually does."

Chewing at your bottom lip and fiddling with one of the straps on his coat as you tried to process this information, you looked up when you felt his hands on your waist tighten, cocking your head when he seemed somewhat anxious about something.

"Love, just now, when you..."

"Don't worry," you giggled, nudging your nose with his and giving him a soft peck on the cheek. "I felt **everything** when I kissed you."

His tense grip melted away with a sigh of relief when you wiggled your eyebrows at him suggestively, stepping back when he reached out behind him and plucked up an apple out of the nearby fruit bowl, pushing the microchip through the skin and deep into the flesh.

"I wasn't worried." He smirked, feining smugness as you followed him back upstairs. "Now let's get rid of this bloody thing."

 

 

After Shay had spectacularly thrown the apple onto a passing fishing trawler that was headed back to the Azores, you were laid on the sofa with your head in his lap, flicking through the tv channels mindlessly. Chucking the remote down when you couldn't find anything that kept your attention, you shuffled around so you were now on your back, staring up at him when you saw he had his eyes closed and was half asleep.

"Where did you learn to throw like that?" You blurted in trying to wake him up, knowing he shouldn't really be sleeping so soon after getting cracked on the head.

His eyes snapped open, and his head shot up when he realised he had almost nodded off, stretching out to try and make himself a bit more alert.

"Hmm? Oh. Grew up in a rough neighbourhood in New York. Chucking things like that helps in a pinch when you've got a gang chasin' after ya."

"Guess that happened quite a lot then? Wait, you grew up in New York? I thought you were from Ireland?"

You sat up when he suddenly jerked underneath you, wincing when he gritted his teeth as he had gone to lace his fingers behind his head and, brushed up against his wound.

"I am, well my parents were. I've never actually been to the motherland."

"Soooo, you're an Irishman, who's never been to Ireland?! Bahahahahaha!"

You giggles multiplied when he began poking in your side for your mocking, only just managing to get them under control when Christopher bounded into the room, wiping his greasy hands on a rag with a self-satisfied grin.

"Well that was easier than I thought it was going to be, the engine is now running at two-thirds capacity. We should be back in Boston in five days, give or take."

Pouting when you had hoped it would take a bit longer than that; now finding yourself in not such a rush to get back, you prodded Shay with your elbow when you spotted him yawning and closing his eyes again.

"Yeah, I know. Damn I need coffee."

Gist took it as his queue to leave with a smirk and, mumbling 'rabbits' under his breath when you nudged your head towards the door, walking your fingers slowly up Shays inner thigh the second he had his back turned.

"There's a better way of staying awake than with caffeine..." You whispered seductively, adorning a huge grin when he suddenly looked _very_ alert.

 

 

As Christopher had predicted, five days later you were stood at the bow with your elbows propped on the rail, staring out at Boston in the distance. You still had four days of your leave at least, but you knew you would end up spending half of that with the Templars. Even though you weren't exactly worried about it anymore, you still felt apprehensive at continuing working both sides, and it was about time you came to a decision.

Sauntering upstairs to the helm, you sat down in the seat next to Shay and propped your legs up on the console, sticking your tongue out and dropping them back down when he flicked at your big toe.

"Meanie. So how long until we dock?"

"Bout an hour I reckon. Decided what you're gonna do with the rest of ya time off yet?"

Looking up at him out of the corner of your eye, you bit the insides of your cheeks to stop yourself from grinning when you saw he was doing the same to you, thinking you'd have a bit of fun and wind him up about it.

"Well, considering I'm _more_ exhausted now than before I started, I figured I'd relax a bit. You know, do all those girly things. Go to a spa, get my nails and hair done, perhaps a nice massage from a good looking man....."

Barely able to hold your laughter back as it looked like he was chewing on a wasp, you spun your chair so you were facing him, pressing your hands on the space between your legs and leaning forwards.

"Unless you had any suggestions?"

Watching him jab a few buttons to the side of him, you squealed when he suddenly let go of the wheel and slid his hands under your arms and picked you up, dropping you so you were sat just on the very edge of the console.

"Oh, I've got one or two ideas love. Checking into the hotel and spendin' the next few days in bed undisturbed? That's relaxing, and the room service is pretty good. An just maybe, I could help ya with that massage you were on about."

Wrapping one arm around him to pull him closer, you tapped your chin with your finger and pretended to consider it, trying to ignore the positively sinful look he was giving you.

"Tempting. Very tempting. But I have a feeling that I wouldn't be relaxing much, you snore. There is one thing I need to do, so you'll have to do without me for a few hours though. I'll think about it." You grinned.

"Will ya now." He chuckled, squeezing the tops of your thighs gently. "Well, either way, we've gotta go and check in at headquarters when we get back, might as well get that over and done with first."

You flinched at the thought of going back to headquarters and facing Haytham, not even thinking about it until now. After he'd not mentioned anything to you about what happened after the ball, you were still pissed at him, plus Shays reaction to you having been with Jacob, if he found out about you and the Grand Master this was not going to be pretty, at all. Also, if Haytham found out about you and Shay after his years of pursuing you, being the egotistical man that he is you knew that he would either deliberately try to sabotage you, or even worse, potentially out you to the assassins in retaliation. This was turning out to be a disaster. You actually considered asking Shay to keep your relationship hidden for now, but you knew that would create a whole spiral of questions, so you decided to scratch that idea. Your only hope was that you could get in, and out in the least amount of time possible, and pray that all conversation stayed work related.

"I know that look. What's bothering you, love?"

"Hmm? Nothing, just that every time I need to go to headquarters, I usually end up being kidnapped." You giggled, giving him your widest smile and hoping that he believed that was what you were thinking about.

"Kidnapped!?"

Shrugging your shoulders as he now looked thoroughly confused, you slid down off the console and gave him a peck on the cheek, before grabbing hold of the wheel and pretended to steer the ship.

"Yeah, kidnapped. To keep up the front, if anyone happened to be watching? Haytham suggested it, said it would be better that way. I hate it, but I did manage to break Charles' nose last time, so I suppose it's not all bad."

Your eyes widened when Shay walked up behind you and leant around your side, pressing the same buttons as before to disengage the autopilot, then lay his hands on top of yours and made you spin the wheel slightly to the left.

"Oh he did, did he."

Turning your head when he sounded amused, you raised your eyebrow when he just stared out of the window over your shoulder, indeed looking quite entertained at what you had just said. 

"What's so funny?"

"You'll see lass. You'll see.


	24. Chapter 24

Jumping out of the town car when you got to the garage below headquarters, you went to pull up your hoodie to shield your face, very confused when Shay climbed out behind and stopped you.

"Ya don't need to do that love. Come on, this way."

Your eyes were darting about furiously as you felt extremely exposed when he took your hand and, led you to the very back of the garage through a small corridor, pressing a button on the wall next to a set of double doors.

"Service elevator. Takes ya straight up next to Kenways office."

"Service... Mother fu... I'm gonna kill him!"

Shay bit his lips together as you stomped into the lift when the doors opened, smacking the up button with your fist and tapping your foot impatiently while you waited for it to take you to the top floor. Barging through the office door and dropping down in your usual chair; propping your legs up on the arm, you glared at Haytham evilly while you waited for him to finish the conversation he was having on the phone. He looked thoroughly bewildered as he slowly set the receiver in its cradle, propping his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his hands, his eyes only moving from you briefly when Shay closed the door before flickering back to you.

"I am going to take a shot in the dark here and assume I have done something to displease you (name)? Although as I have not seen you in a month, I cannot presume what that could be."

You sniffed dismissively and pretended to examine your nails for a moment, making his brow furrow in annoyance while you kept him waiting for an answer.

"A service elevator? Really?! After all this time you didn't think of mentioning that?"

The look you gave him resembled that of a death stare when the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement, before getting up to stand next to you and laying his hand on your shoulder, in what you assumed was an apology.

"Had I mentioned it before now, you would not have had the chance to get your revenge on Charles, would you my dear?"

Cocking your head to and fro as you considered his explanation, you giggled in agreement with a huge grin when both men chuckled at your devious expression.

"Fine, I'll let you off. But no more kidnapping from now on you hear?"

"As you wish. Now, the mission, I'm assuming it was a success?"

"Aye. Sir. The assassins took the guns, and the money is being unloaded off my ship as we speak." Shay lightly growled.

The tone of his voice made you glance at him out of the corner of your eye, your brow twitching slightly when you saw he was gritting his teeth. It was only then you realised that Haythams hand was still on your shoulder, so you jiggled it slightly to get him to remove it, but he ignored your gesture and just kept it there, squeezing softly. You had forgotten entirely about yours and Haythams night of intimacy, and your concerns as you were distracted about the kidnapping farce, but you still held a glimmer of hope that there was some way you could get out of this without anything blowing up. 

"Excellent. That's one less worry off of my plate. My dear, you seem exceptionally well, the London air did you some good?"

"London was okay, I guess. But I'm actually on vacation, until the end of the week."

You shrugged yourself again when his fingers trailed down your arm lightly; wondering why he was being so persistent, that was until you looked up to see he was staring at Shay with a sly grin, who fists were now clenching to almost white as his eyes were glued to your shoulder. Making a last-ditch attempt to get Haytham to stop touching you, you actually brushed his fingers away this time, praying that he would take the hint. 

And oh boy did he ever. 

Your action had just confirmed what he was already thinking, so being the scheming man that he is, he did indeed move his hand away, only to flick it to your front and part your shirt, allowing him to peek down and leer.

"Vacation? Well well. Something _has_ had an effect on you. Perhaps with this time off, you would allow me to indulge in giving you another mark?"

Jumping out of your seat quickly when Shay lept up, you stood in between them and gripped Shays arm, hoping to drag him out of here before something _really_ bad happened. That was not going to be the case however, as Shay just stood firmly in his stance, every single muscle that you could see tensing up as he glared at Haytham, who was now chuckling to himself with a smirk.

"Get. Your. Hands. Off her."

"My dear, I never realised you were so... promiscuous."

_Shit._

The second the words fell from Haythams mouth Shay sidestepped around you and drew his fist back, throwing it forward with all of his force straight towards his jaw. You felt the sickening thud echo inside you as it connected perfectly, making Haytham stumble and grip his face with a scowl. 

You were knocked back when Haytham snarled and lunged out at Shay, engaging him in a fistfight which escalated quickly. You tried to get in between them again, yelling at them to stop, but you were thrown back towards the door, falling straight on your ass and landing a few steps in front of it. Sitting there glowering for a moment as their fight moved to the floor; rolling around in both trying to gain dominance over one another, your attention was snapped away to the sound of the door bursting open behind you, with Charles running in to see what all of the commotion was.

 _Fuckshitfuckfuckshitshit!!_ Was all you could think when his eyes widened as he spotted you on the floor, his head bobbing to and fro as if he were watching a tennis match, taking in the bizarre sight in front of him.

"What are you waiting for you moron! Stop them!"

Charles snapped out of his confused daze when you yelled at him and pointed towards the brawl, throwing himself to the floor and trying to pry them apart just as you had done. But just like your attempt, he failed miserably, taking the brunt of one or two punches before getting launched away like an old ragdoll. Quickly searching around to see if there was anything that could help you, your roaming eyes stopped when they landed on a gun about a foot away from Haythams flailing legs. Whose it was you had no idea, but that didn't matter, all you cared about was that was probably the only thing that would work.

Scrambling across the carpet and using your arm to shield your head; so you didn't end up getting kicked in the face, you managed to grab the gun and retreat to a safe distance, using one of the upturned chairs to pull yourself up to standing. Swiftly checking the magazine to make sure it had bullets, you flicked the safety off and raised your arm above you, squeezing the trigger, so a shot went straight into the ceiling above you.

"Will you stop!!!" 

Everyone in the room froze and turned their attention to you, Charles who was now holding his evidently re-broken nose, Haytham who was on his back trying to cover his face, and Shay who was kneeling over him with his fist drawn back and about to strike again. They were all bloodied and bruised, but none seemed to have any devastating injuries.

Flicking the safety back on the gun and dropping it to the floor, you slowly turned around and walked back out into the corridor, taking the few steps towards the lift and hitting the button numbly. You couldn't even fathom what you were going to do now; you shouldn't have come. Charles now knew about you, and you had no idea if he would keep it to himself or not, making the situation that much worse. Stepping into the elevator when the doors finally opened, you pushed the button to go to the lower level, staring at the floor while you contemplated what the hell you were going to do.

Just as the doors started to close, a hand slipped in between them to stop them shutting all of the way, Shay walking in somberly and standing beside you. The second you started to move, he hit the emergency button; which stopped it in its tracks, and stared at the same spot on the floor as you were in complete silence. Right on cue, as if it had been waiting, your new found 'gift' decided to make an appearance, but this time however it was _very_ different. Instead of just hearing Shays heart, it was causing you pain. With each rapid beat, it felt like someone was banging a gong right next to your ear, and it reverberated throughout you. Pinching the bridge of your nose and squinting, you tried to push it away, but nothing you did made it stop.

"Shay, calm down. Please."

Your words to him only served to make things worse, the pulse getting faster and louder with each passing second as he continued to stare at the floor. You gripped your head when it was becoming on the verge of unbearable, tears burning at your eyes from the onslaught.

"Please!" You beseeched, hissing through your teeth as you tightened your grip on your head.

It was only then he noticed your distressed state, his eyes full of worry and anguish as rest his hands over yours and tilted your head up so he could see your face. As soon as his lips pressed against yours gently, the throbbing began to slow, and the pain eased considerably, allowing you to loosen the hold on your head. 

"Why didn't you just tell me, lass?"

Licking your lips when you tasted the faint bite of metal, you looked up to see the extent of his wounds, wincing when you saw he had a split bottom lip and a reddening mark across his left cheekbone.

"Because I hoped to avoid, _this_. All of it. You're pissed off, Haythams likely going to do something underhanded to get back at me, and Charles? He's probably running off to sell my name to the Brotherhood as we speak."

"I'm not pissed off."

"Could have fooled me." You mumbled, dropping your arms and taking his hand when you saw his knuckles were swollen and cut.

"I'm not."

He twisted his hand out of your grasp and took a step back to lean up against the wall, staring at the doors when someone on the other side banged on it, yelling at you to release the emergency button. He just ignored them, as did you, unmoving until the footsteps let you know that they had gone away.

"Almost everyone I've ever known has betrayed me, should be used to it by now."

"I've not betrayed you?!"

"No, but **he** did!" He barked, gritting his teeth as he jabbed his thumb in the direction of Haythams office.

The corner of your eye twitched when the thumping in your head mildly started again, but this time it didn't go unnoticed, as he moved to just in front of you and took your hand, holding it against his cheek until your face relaxed.

"He knew how I felt about ya. To him you were just a conquest, wantin' something he couldn't have. Guessin' he got it..."

"Oh? And just when did this conversation happen? You actually sound insecure..."

"What if I am?!" He blurted out before he could stop himself, lowering his head now red-faced in embarrassment.

Shay took a step back and leant against the wall again, licking his lip before gingerly dabbing with the cuff of his shirt to get the remnants of drying blood off, apparently not wanting to continue replying as he purposefully avoided looking at you.

"Fine. Well, answer me this then. Just how _do_ you feel about me?"

You clicked your tongue as he just continued to stay silent, now examining his hand as the rapping on the door started again. Not seeing any point in staying here, you stepped forward and reached out to press the button to get the elevator moving; before whoever it was on the other side decided to rip the doors off, until you were stopped by him grabbing your arm and pulling you to him, laying his arms over your hips and holding you firmly.

"Bloody hell lass. I know you've got a lot going on, but surely that's pretty obvious... Will you **Fuck** off!"

Shay banged the doors with the side of his fist angrily when the tapping continued, the several other voices; one of which was unmistakably Haythams, that had joined in going silent when the whole elevator shook with the impact.

"You were saying?" You whispered when he turned his attention back to you, satisfied that they were gone, for now.

He shook his head and sighed heavily, but instead of answering you he jerked you in and crashed his lips against yours in a bruising kiss, his hands digging almost painfully in your sides. You held his gaze when he eventually pulled back and rested his head on yours, his eyes pleading for a response to an unasked question. 

Lowering your head and gulping hard, you knew you were stepping on forbidden territory as you searched deep inside you, trying to figure out if you felt the same way. Because you couldn't feel anything negative anymore, the good emotions inside you seemed to have intensified, making you feel things that you usually would have suppressed. You cared for him, **a lot** , but did you really want to jump into the deep end, risk _everything_ to be with him entirely? It was never going to be a normal relationship from the start, and like everything else in your life, it would have to stay concealed in a fashion. Did you want that? **Could** you do it? Yes. You could. But now was definitely not the time or place for such an admission. But you had to give him _something_. 

Grabbing his shirt with both hands when he went to move away mournfully; as you had been deliberating for so long, you tilted your head back up with dancing eyes and a soft smile, then biting your bottom lip timidly.

"Shay, I-I...."

Even though you didn't have any intention of continuing, you were promptly quietened by his hand snapping up and his finger pressing gently over your lips, his face lit up like he'd just won the jackpot on the lotto. 

"Are you going to kiss me? Or keep me waiting?" You mumbled against his finger, sliding your arms around his back and lacing your hands together, so you were snugly pressed up against his chest.

He didn't need asking twice.

He turned you both around, so you were now pressed up against the wall, his other hand coming up to join the first and cupping your face as his mouth once again found yours in a delicate embrace. The gentleness didn't last long however, as soon as a needy keen escaped your throat his hands dropped and skimmed over your sides, and he cursed under his breath when your hips instinctively jerked into his crotch.

You pulled away and gasped when his hands slid under your shirt, trailing his fingers over your stomach before plucking at the button of your jeans; making it pop open, and the cooler air hitting your skin dragging your attention back to where you actually were.

"S-Shay, we can't. They'll hear us."

"I couldn't give a damn." He whispered gruffly against your lips, before leaving a string of nibbles over your jaw and nuzzling into your neck.

If this is what it took to wipe out his insecurities you were more than happy to give it to him, as your walls of resistance crumbled with a sharp gasp when he latched on to the sensitive pulse point of your throat, and bit down on you with every intention of leaving you with a mark. His tongue lapped at the now sensitive flesh, soothing it before admiring his handiwork, capturing your lips in his again before you had a chance to complain.

You hadn't even noticed that he had slid down the zipper of your trousers until his hand dove straight into your knickers, grinning against your mouth when he came across the veritable puddle of your arousal trickling down your leg when he moved the fabric out of the way. You choked back a moan when his middle finger delved through your crease, your hands gripping onto his rumpled shirt for dear life as he circled your engorged nub, alternating between rapid strokes and light taps.

Barely hanging on by a thread when his index finger joined in and suddenly plunged into you, curling around to caress against the sweet spot within you as the heel of his palm continued to rub against your clit, you gave up trying to keep the noise down when your limbs began quaking, drawing you ever nearer to your delicious release.

His arm curled around you to hold you upright when he could see you were struggling to do it yourself, but you let out an imploring groan when his fingers slowed in their movements, drawing them out and slipping them into his mouth to lick them clean. He chuckled when you banged your head on the wall in frustration, letting go of his finger with a small pop when he'd sucked all of your juices off it.

"I know, I know." He teased seductively. "You think I'd leave ya like this?"

You squealed as he spun you around so your chest and hands were now pressed up against the wall, pulling your backside out slightly as he pushed your clothes down over your hips to your knees and spread your legs as far as they would go with his foot. You went to peer behind you when you heard shuffling, but you didn't get the chance when the whole lift echoed with your elated moan as he lined his cock up with your dripping entrance, sliding himself fully inside you with one eager motion.

"Let them know love, let them all know." He growled huskily against your cheek when he pressed up against your back, slithering one hand around your waist and the other drawing up to lace his fingers with yours.

Managing one nod before he began thrusting into you, guttural moans immediately tore from your throat as he set up a brutally fast pace, making you feel dizzy as you quickly climbed to the verge of ecstasy once again. Your fingers began to blanche from holding his so hard, but you paid it no mind as your whole body was singing in uncontrollable delight. Crying out when the surge of spectacular release consumed you, you scratched at the wall with your free hand, desperate to find something to cling onto as it felt like every fibre of your being had turned to trembling jelly. Shay groaned against your cheek as he felt your walls flutter and clamp down around his length, slowing his momentum to something more tender as he whispered words of adoration in your ear.

"Y-you, are amazing love. Everything about you, the way you feel around me, the way ya look at me, you drive me crazy. You're mine."

You squeaked when his hand tightened around you, and he buried his head in your shoulder, never before had anyone said _anything_ like that to you, and you absolutely loved it. Nudging his head with your chin to get him to release your neck, even though your voice seemed to have left you, your eyes apparently told him everything he needed to know because as soon as he caught your gaze you could feel him trembling against you, his hand releasing yours to hold it against your cheek as he kissed you softly.

The pistoning of his hips picked up tempo again, igniting the barely dying down embers of your climax rapidly with each vigorous thrust. Breathing hard as erratic whimpers bubbled out of you, they soon evolved from the tame moans of earlier into ecstatic groans, when his hand that was around your waist dropped down and found your clit again, rubbing and coaxing you into another passion-filled delirium. 

Shays' arms felt like a vice around you as he panted loudly against your lips, his movements becoming frantic as he neared his release, which came with a choked bellow before biting down on your neck again, filling you with several ragged thrusts of his hips. That was the last thing you needed to hit your own tipping point, his name tearing from you in a high pitched scream as the scorching heat unleashed inside you, slumping against the wall in need of support, the cold metal feeling like ice against your flushed skin.

You hadn't even managed to catch your breath when the infernal banging and yelling started again, hoarse chuckles ripping from you and Shay in unison.

"Think they know?" You puffed, humming gently when he stroked his cheek against yours before kissing the tip of your nose with a huge grin.

"Oh, they definitely heard ya love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can anyone tell I had 'Love in an Elevator' stuck in my head for nearly a week?! XD XD


	25. Chapter 25

Pulling up the collar of your jacket to try and hide your completely ravaged neck, you waltzed into the very well to do suit shop leisurely, immediately looking around for one of the salespeople. You spotted the only one quickly at the other side of the store, but he was already with a customer, so you perused the women's section and flicked through the jackets while you waited for him to be available. 

Just as you were becoming bored of looking, you spun around when you felt a light tap on your shoulder, the attendant greeting you with an enthusiastic smile.

"Good morning ma'am, is there something I can help you with? We have a fine selection of wool..."

You cut off his sales pitch by raising your hand and shaking your head, as what you wanted wasn't actually in the store.

"I'm looking for something in particular. Something to help me _hide in plain sight_."

"Of course. If you would follow me, ma'am, I know exactly what you are looking for." He replied, waving his arm to the businessman who just walked in, letting him know he would return in a moment.

Following him to the back of the store and up the stairs towards the offices, you placed your yet _another_ new phone in a box that was sat on a pedestal at the end of the corridor, closing it as the man swiped his security card through a mechanism on the otherwise barren wall, revealing a palm scanner. Placing your hand on the device, you took a step back when it read your print and the outline of a door appeared on the wall, stepping inside when it slid silently to the right, revealing a dimly lit room filled full of people, computers and desks.

Walking down the middle aisle while glancing at the operatives with headsets on; that were either typing furiously at their computers or talking to someone in a language you didn't understand, you stopped when you got to the front, staring at the wall-sized screen with a map of the world on it. You crinkled your nose at all of the flickering dots scattered over it, quickly guessing that there were about fifty red ones, and nearly double that again in blue.

"Bella (name)! So good to see you!"

You spun around to face the voice that had called out to you, smiling gently when you received a fond kiss on your right cheek, then on your left.

"Mentor Auditore. Sorry I didn't have a chance to speak to you at the ball, I was, occupied."

"That is quite all right principessa, I did not expect you to. And as I have told you before, please call me Ezio. We have been through far too much together to be so formal."

Nodding as he placed his hand on the small of your back, you let him lead you to a side room on the left, which you knew to be his personal office. You were about to slump down in the chair until you noticed him frown as he took his seat on the other side of his desk, sitting up straight and placing your hands in your lap quickly. Your mentor believed that all women were all confident, majestic creatures, and should always carry themselves as such, so if sitting uncomfortably for a few moments would appease him, so be it.

"As happy as I am to see you, why are you here? Is it your mission?" He asked hesitantly, adorning a slight look of worry as his eyes flickered over you.

"No Ment...Ezio. I'm actually here for some advice, I hope you can help."

You proceeded to fill him in about your new skill, choosing to carefully omit the parts about how you couldn't feel guilt, anger or fear anymore, in essence, all of the characteristics of a cold-blooded killing machine. Making you the perfect assassin, and that was _definitely_ not something you had any desire of doing, feelings or not. When you had finished, you just sat there while he pondered for a moment, clasping his hands and placing his index fingers over his lips with a mix of intrigue and wonder.

"Well, I must say that I am curious to learn more about this _talento_. I have heard of such a thing once before, but to my knowledge, no assassin alive is blessed with such a gift. Tell me, what were you doing when it first appeared?"

"Hmm, I was upset. Like, **really** upset, and angry, my, umm, friend was in trouble. Then it just, appeared, out of nowhere." You mumbled, hoping that was a good enough explanation.

"I see. A traumatic experience can bring out the best, and the worst in us mio cara. Perhaps it would be wise for us to test your ability?"

You bit your lip and nodded eagerly as you had been hoping he would say that, but you stopped when he opened the top drawer of his desk and took out a manilla coloured file, with the word 'Confidential' stamped over it and gently placed it in front of himself.

"Eccellente, we shall do that in a moment then. First, you may as well give me a report while you are here. Signor Kenway, he still trusts you?"

"Yes. There has been a slight, _hiccup_ but nothing I can't smooth over."

The corner of your eye twitched when he glowered and sat back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing in slight annoyance.

"Be sure that happens, you know you must be prepared to do anything necessary to keep his confidence. What of the one known as the Assassin Hunter? Has he been revealed to you yet?"

Your pulse jumped through the roof when you knew what he meant by, _anything_ , so you knew you had better come up with an alternative. Fast. He fiddled with the edge of the file as if he were about to reveal something to you, but with ease you managed to keep a completely straight face and shake your head softly, making him look slightly confused.

"Not yet, but I'm close. It's only a matter of time."

Cocking your head when he finally flipped open the folder, spinning it around and sliding it towards you, you flicked over the grainy photo of a man dressed all in black that you had seen many times before, inhaling sharply when you spotted there was another underneath it. It wasn't very clear, just like the first, but it was unmistakably the same person, holding a sword against your neck.

"No? This was taken from the security cameras at your last mission in London. Are you sure you are not mistaken?"

"I assure you, that is not the Assassin Hunter. A copycat maybe?" You giggled to hide your deception, slightly surprised at how easily lies were tumbling out of your mouth. "I could have beaten that man without a problem, but I was distracted by Connor and Jacob. If I could just tell them...."

You were silenced by him raising his hand and taking the file back off you, snapping it shut and returning it into the drawer with a slam.

"I have told you before (name), _no one_ knows of this, other than yourself and I. We have been doing this a long time, and we cannot risk anyone interfering now. He is dangerous and extremely cunning to be kept hidden for so long, he must be stopped at all costs."

Sighing at your minor ear bashing, you lowered your head somberly and collapsed back into your chair, pouting at the narrowing of his eyes when you did so.

"Oh don't look at me like that, you know I'm not one for all that la de dah stuff."

He chuckled as he got up and walked around his desk to stand beside you, taking your hands to pull you up to standing and gesturing for you to follow him back out of his office, and to the other side of the main room.

"I know, I am surprised you managed it for that long. By the way, I was pleased to hear that you had taken some time off cara, six years undercover must be taking its toll by now."

Merely shrugging your shoulders as you walked up a couple of steps and over the raised platform, you squinted when you entered the training room, never being able to get used to the brightness of it. Why it was all painted brilliant white you had no idea, as on occasion a few injuries had happened, leaving faint blood stains on the floor and walls. Dropping your bag next to one of the weapon racks, you kicked off your shoes and took off your coat before joining Ezio on the mats, slightly bewildered when he spun you around and tied a thin blindfold over your eyes. Vaguely aware that he had dimmed the lights as you couldn't see _anything_ now, you could only hear the sound of shuffling and something being taken off one of the frames.

"Concentrate (name). Clear your mind, and try to find me."

You cocked your head towards his voice coming from behind you, breathing slowly through your nose and putting all of your focus on trying to pinpoint where he was. After several attempts of him moving about and calling your name, you sighed heavily when nothing would come to you.

"This isn't working. Maybe...Ow!! What was that for?!"

Yelping when you got rapped around the back of your legs with what you now recognised as a bamboo practise sword, you spun around and lashed out, your arm finding nothing but air as he laughed softly.

"Perhaps making you angry would coax it out of hiding hmm?"

You knew that was going to be impossible, but you decided to indulge him anyway, thrashing out and gritting your teeth when he struck your arm this time, hoping he would come up with another solution soon before you ended up covered head to toe in bruises. After about fifteen minutes of the expected outcome of his 'coercing', he let out a heavy sigh and began tapping the sword on the floor, before gently poking you on the back with it to get your attention.

"It looks like your head is just as stubborn as the rest of you." He chuckled, before nudging you once more. "One last try. Think of something you care about, that makes you happy."

"But..."

"Do not argue with me cara, we may be friends, but I am still your mentor. Do as you are told."

Grumbling under your breath and pulling yourself straight, you swallowed hard as an image of you and Shay dancing on the ship popped into your head, immediately making your cheeks, and the rest of you feel warmer. You gasped when it suddenly felt like you had been plunged into icy cold water, grabbing your head for a moment when a loud thumping boomed in your head, then dropping your hands when it eventually quietened to something a lot more manageable. Spinning around quickly when the beat moved to behind you, you raised your arm when it sped up slightly, blocking the bamboo when he struck out once more.

"Ah, results at last! Follow me, if you can (name)."

As Ezio was extremely proficient in stealth, not a single decibel of his movements reached you as he moved, so you had nothing but his heartbeat to go by as you tracked him around the room. It took quite a bit of concentration; nearly losing him twice, and you had the beginnings of a headache after a few minutes, but you managed to keep up with him, and even stop him from hitting you with the sword on a couple of occasions. You rubbed your eyes when he undid the blindfold for you and let it drop to the floor, grinning when you saw that he had a very pleased and proud expression as he patted your shoulder gently. 

"Well done. I think with more training you this will become an _immenso_ asset to you. Can I ask what you thought about?"

"Connor." You blurted out a little too quickly before you could stop yourself. "He is my closest friend, so it made sense."

Pulling your shoes back on and grabbing your bag, you refused to look him in the eye when he crossed his arms and slightly glared at you; as if he was about to scold a young child, his gaze settling on your neck before you had the chance to get your coat back on and cover everything up.

"You have changed caro. I wasn't prying, I was just wondering. If you didn't want to say then that's alright, but there was no reason to lie to me."

You exhaled long and slow as he had just confirmed that, that was the first time he had thought you had fabricated anything, but you covered it up by lowering your head and fidgeting nervously with your collar as you made your way out of the training room.

"I-I'm sorry, I just didn't think you'd approve..."

"Hush. It is not the best of timing, but you cannot stop the heart principessa. Even I am painfully aware of that. I'm assuming the gentleman from the ball? Just make sure it doesn't interfere with your work."

"It won't, I promise." You lied yet again after biting your lip and nodding, then smiling when he stopped and kissed your cheek again as you got to the main door.

"Good. Now go and fix whatever has happened with Kenway, before it becomes too late."


	26. Chapter 26

Instead of going straight to Templar headquarters like you were told, you decided that you would go to the Mandarin first to at least get a change of clothes, as you had left everything on the ship and Gist said he would take your belongings there for you. 

The second you stepped foot in the hotel, the concierge ushered you to the front desk and waved over to the receptionist; who immediately looked terrified when he saw you, but he hesitantly came over none the less, stopping a good two feet away from you and slightly trembling.

"I-I'm dreadfully sorry miss, but Mr Cormac is no longer with us... His, erm, employer is no longer paying the bill."

Rolling your tongue in your cheek and sighing at Haythams pettiness, you tapped your fingers on the counter as you wondered what you could do about it, (apart from the obvious) then went to ask if they could call you a cab, figuring that Shay would have gone back to the Morrigan. You didn't even get the chance to open your mouth before he picked up the phone and dialled quickly, behaving somewhat more professional as you didn't blow up in his face this time.

 

 

You threw the driver an extra twenty and got him to wait as you clambered out and ran down the dock, spinning around on the spot when you got to the end, as you couldn't see Shays ship, _anywhere_. Pulling your phone out of your jeans pocket and hastily typing a message asking where he was, you had just managed to hit the send button when you almost jumped out of your skin, as a hand laid gently on your shoulder that made you turn around slowly.

"Connor! You're back! You scared the crap out of me."

He chuckled softly as you threw your arms around him and squeezed tightly, before slipping your phone slyly in your back pocket when you saw that the screen had lit up with a reply.

"Yes, we were later than expected as we ran into some trouble. What are you doing here? You are supposed to be on vacation?!"

"Got bored and came back early. I paid the harbourmaster to call me when he saw you coming."

Linking your arm through his when he started walking back down the pier, you mentally chided yourself for getting so distracted, that you hadn't noticed that you had run straight past the Jackdaw on your way down here.

"Well, it is a pleasant surprise to see you. Would you mind helping me with something while you are here? It involves Jacob."

Stopping in your tracks when you got to the Jackdaws ramp, you raised your eyebrow as he gazed at you hopefully, gesturing for you to come aboard the ship.

"Fiiiine. You know I can't say no when you give me those puppy dog eyes." You chuckled, following him up when he flashed you a beaming grin. "What's the matter with him now?"

He didn't say anything as you went down the steps and headed down to the sleeping quarters, but that didn't matter as you had already guessed what he wanted you to do, confirmed when he opened the door to Jacobs room, and he was busy yelling at one of the crew.

"Get away from me you prick! I'm **not** going to the hospital!" 

You cautiously poked your head around Connor when he moved out of the way to let the now fraught crew member past him, and shook his head with a soft sigh, biting your lips together when Jacobs' eyes widened at you being there, then scowling at Connor a split second later.

"Ohhhh, I see how it is, bringing out the big guns now, are we?! Sneaky bastard. Well, it makes no odds, I'm still not going."

"Bloody hell, what happened to you!? Grope the wrong barmaid?" You jeered, trying not to laugh when he stuck his fingers up at you and slowly laid down on the bed.

"Haha. Such a comedian. No actually, got into a brawl with that asshole Templar from back home if you must know. Fuckers definitely at the top of my list now."

Grimacing as you sat down at the foot of the bed, you stared at him pointedly when he winced and held his ribs, hoping you could convince him to get checked out quickly, as you had far more important things to do than deal with his stubbornness and you were running out of time.

"Take it you didn't catch him then. Why don't you want to go to the hospital? I thought you would be well up for getting looked after by nurses."

You knew you'd instantly won when his face lit up and he gingerly got up to sitting, grabbing one of his arms to help him stand up while Connor took the other and draped it over his shoulder.

"We _could_ just stay here, and you can be my nurse. I'm sure we can get you one of those outfits..."

"You wish." You taunted when he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, narrowing your eyes at Connor when you saw he was on the verge of bursting out laughing.

"Hey, no harm in asking. And you big guy, throwing me under the bus like this. Think we need to have a chat about the bro code."

It was you who bubbled out a chuckle this time, as Connor now looked thoroughly confused as he helped you bundle Jacob in the taxi that had been sat waiting impatiently for you.

 

 

Now that Jacob was laying on a gurney and waiting for someone to come over and see him, you took the opportunity to slip away for a moment so you could check your phone. Leaning up against the wall when you found a secluded spot, you pulled it out and unlocked it, chewing at your lip when the only message was an 'Unable to deliver' report. You hit the resend button as you hoped it was just because you had terrible signal down at the docks, but you had no such luck as after only a few seconds, the same message pinged back again, making your brow crease into a deep frown.

Wandering back as you ran all of the possible scenarios that could have happened in your head, from Haytham sending someone out to kill Shay off, (least likely) to he had been sent out on another mission, (most likely) you saw that you now had the chance to leave, when you noticed that Jacob had been moved to a room, and was not at all happy that he was being attended to by a doctor who could easily pass for his grandparent. Poking your head around the door and nodding your head to Connor; who seemed relieved that he had gotten an excuse to leave for a moment, you pulled him to one side so you could talk to him.

"Everything okay now? I really need to go, got a few things planned."

"Yes. Thank you (name), I couldn't have done it without you. I shall see you on Monday?"

Giving him a thumbs up as you pace walked out of the hospital, you broke out into a sprint when you got outside and pushed in front of a businessman who was at the front of the queue in the taxi ranks, stealing his cab and slamming the door shut to cut off his ranting at you. You slumped back in the seat and stared at the floor after giving instructions to the driver, to take you to the one place where you might get some answers about what the hell was going on.

 

 

Pacing in front of Haythams door as it sounded like he was on the phone, you began to wonder if being here was actually a good idea, or if it would make the situation worse. It had been a couple of days since the, 'incident', but by the sounds of it, he was still in a terrible mood, given by how much he was yelling to whoever he was talking to, before slamming the receiver down harshly. Pulling yourself straight, you knocked on the door loudly, figuring the sooner you got this done, the better.

"Oh for the love of god! Now what?! Come in!"

You walked in confidently and took your usual seat, ignoring his glare while you glanced over at him to take stock of his injuries. Black eye, slumped shoulder; which probably meant he had dislocated it but was too stubborn to wear a sling, and his hands were bruised and scabbed over. Not as bad as you had initially thought.

"What are you doing here? I have no desire to speak to you." He growled, pulling his keyboard towards him and typing slowly, which was apparently a pretence to make himself look busy.

"Oh don't be so grumpy. It doesn't suit you."

"I have every right to be! I had to cancel several important meetings because I was in no condition to go, and I haven't slept in two days because of the pain in my shoulder no thanks to you!"

You bit your tongue and took a deep breath so you didn't blurt out what you wanted to say, because as much as you would love to wind him up right now, you knew that it would only aggravate him more, completely the opposite of what you came here to do. Your only hope what that you could make him see reason before he threw you out and, you could find out where Shay was.

"Haytham. I didn't punch you, nor did I ask you to do what you did. I tried to stop it, remember? If anyone has the right to be annoyed, it's me after that promiscuous comment."

Raising your eyebrow when a glimmer of guilt washed over his face, you soon replaced it with a frown when it didn't last long, and he gave up pretending to type, slumping back in his chair and sulking.

"Alright, I might have gone over the top with that, but you have played me for a fool. And that I don't appreciate. I thought we had something, that you were mine."

Sighing as you slowly got up out of your chair; your skin prickling at the way he said, _mine_ , in complete contrast from when Shay had said it to you, you walked over to the other side of the desk and perched on the edge of it right next to him, swallowing hard as he lay his hand on your knee and stared at his keyboard.

"I don't _belong_ to anyone. I'm not some sort of property that can be passed around like the way you do with your lackeys. I do what I want, when I want. I thought I made that clear."

"Oh, that's abundantly clear now after your little escapade in my elevator. My dear. Now, if you would please leave, I have a lot of work to do."

Almost stumbling over as he pushed you off the desk so he could get to his computer, you turned your back to him and stared out of the window instead of leaving, knowing that there was no way you could go without fixing this. Trying to appeal to his rational side hadn't worked, threatening him _definitely_ wouldn't get you anywhere, so that left just one thing...

Closing your eyes briefly and whispering, _forgive me..._ under your breath, you turned around and quickly spun Haythams chair, so he was now facing you, leaning over and crashing your lips against his. He just sat there for a moment in a state of shock, unmoving until you went to pull away, but you were stopped by him eventually returning the kiss, weaving his arms around you and pulling you into his lap. You tried not to flinch when he grabbed your hand and pressed it over his already throbbing erection; making your fingers squeeze tightly around it, but he obviously noticed, as he suddenly pulled away and narrowed his eyes at you slightly.

You gasped, and your gaze snapped to the side when you heard a loud knocking at the door, sliding off him and under the desk with lightning speed when he rolled his chair back a few inches, just managing to conceal yourself as whoever it was burst into the room.

 _"Ya wanted to see me? Sir?!"_ Shay spat, making your eyes widen and push yourself up into the corner of the space you were in, holding your breath.

Now. As far as you could see, you only had two options. One, reveal yourself, salvage your relationship with Haytham and save your mission, but lose Shay forever in the process. Or secondly, stay hidden, and somehow communicate with Haytham and beg him not to say anything, but throw away the last six years of your work. This **was** the only loyalty you had left to the assassins, but that had been completely thrown out the window when you had made the decision to bed your target. Technically you had already done the first part by _actually_ locating Shay, but there was no way you could do your second task. Not now, not ever. So many lies, so much betrayal, you barely knew where you stood anymore. You would have been banging your head on the desk, if not for the predicament you were in. Making your decision quickly when you could hear Haytham chuckling at Shay; most likely getting ready to out you, you leant forward and grabbed his hand, squeezing it firmly in hopes that he would look down.

You snapped your hand back when he kicked his chair further back from the desk and pressed his fingers together, tapping them on his lips as his gaze dropped to his keyboard in front of him, so he was now able to see you without it being evident at what he was staring at. Looking up with pleading eyes when you realised what he was doing, you lowered your head somberly when he got up out of his chair now that he was able and walked around to the other side of his desk, presumably sitting on it judging by the creaking above you.

"Yes. I wanted to speak to you about (name)."

 _Well, this is it then._ Everything was blown to bits. At that moment in time, you were incredibly thankful that you couldn't get angry, as you were already imagining how Haythams eyeballs would look on a cocktail stick. Getting ready to clamber up and face the music, you stopped in your tracks, and your jaw dropped as Haytham continued, not moving a muscle so you didn't miss a word.

"You had better not hurt her Shay. Or I swear to god the last thing you will ever see is the end of my blade. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are the only one who cares about her. I know your type, dismissing people whenever they are no longer useful, or you become bored of them."

 _"Ha! Beggin' ya pardon, Sir. But you don't know fuck all about me. Sir. You knew... You_ **saw** _how I felt about her, but you still did what you wanted anyway. YOU should be damned grateful I didn't cut ya down after you used her like that!"_

"I did nothing of the sort!!"

You winced when you could tell this was escalating quickly, most likely ending up in another brawl, and then you would really be screwed. In any normal situation, you would feel pretty damned smug that two men were still fighting over you, but as ever, there was nothing normal about this. Your ears pricked up after a few more threats to each other, the conversation changing to something that made you extremely confused.

 _"I know you kept those recordings, as soon as I find proof, that's it. Threaten, blackmail_ **me** _all ya want, but you're puttin' (name) in danger, an_ **that** _you're not gettin' away with."_

"Shay. I have no idea what you are talking about. I can see we are getting nowhere, so I suggest you go. Now."

_"Aye, I am. Didn't have time for this anyway with ya booting me out the hotel, and then havin' to run away an hide from them assassins down at the docks. I'm sick of this shit."_

Sitting there and staring at the floor, even after you heard the door slam, you wracked your brain to try and figure out what Shay was talking about, until Haytham dropped back down in his chair with a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples.

"He has gone, you can come out now."

Slowly clambering up and sitting on the edge of the desk again, you stared out into space not knowing what to say, until Haytham leaned over and slid you across the wood; stopping when you were directly in front of him, tapping his chin and his eyes flickering over you in trying to read your expression.

"You _almost_ had me fooled."

"Haytham... I- "

You were cut off by him raising his finger and his steel eyes boring into yours in a battle of wills as it were, neither of you looking away for several moments, the air between you so thick with tension you could have cut it with a knife.

"You have never been able to deceive me (name), although I must say you have gotten better at it. Not quite as good as myself though. You love him. Don't you?"

Your lips parted as you attempted to reply, but nothing came out, not even a whisper. So you closed them and swallowed hard before trying again, Haytham smirking to himself as the same outcome occurred, your face mimicking that of a dying fish.

"I see. As much as you think of me, I am not a complete bastard. What you were willing to do, to gain back my favour speaks volumes, and hasn't gone unnoticed I assure you. For that, I won't make you jump through hoops to regain my confidence like I usually would."

"Thank you?" You whispered, with as much sincerity as you could muster at this moment in time.

"I hope you realise what you are getting yourself into (name). There is a reason Shay had to fake his death, there is a lot of red in his ledger."

The corner of your mouth twitched as you knew you had one up on him, after spending months researching every little scrap of information that the assassins could gather on this so-called 'hunter'. You knew _precisely_ why Shay had fabricated his death. **He** was the one who had managed to track down Duncan Walpole and kill him, along with any other assassin who threatened to hurt innocent people, and even though no one had ever been able to catch him, he had drawn far too much attention to himself in the process. The only thing that you hadn't found out was that was an assassin before, and what happened to make him change sides, but that didn't really matter now.

"I am well aware of what I'm getting myself into Haytham. The difference between him and you? That he is sorry for the things he's done, he feels remorse."

"Is that so?" He grumbled irritably, drumming his fingers together as he looked deep in thought for several moments. "As an apology for the, _promiscuous_ comment, I shall allow Shay to have his room back at the hotel. You may go."

Sliding off the desk with your eyebrows raised and slowly walking to the door, you lay your hand on the knob and hovered there for a moment, knowing you shouldn't push your luck, but you couldn't help it. You had to try.

"Haytham, Shay said something about recordings?..."

"Leave. Now. Unless you wish for me to reconsider my generosity?"

Shaking your head and leaving as quickly as you could, you groaned and rubbed your face harshly after smacking the elevator button, already scheming a way to find out what he was hiding.


	27. Chapter 27

Ramming your shoulder into the door of your apartment, you scowled when you finally got it open, kicking all of the mail out of the way as you had forgotten to get it redirected while you were away. You dropped your bag and keys on the countertop before grabbing the kettle, soon discarding it when you knew you needed something stronger than coffee after everything that had gone on today.

Scouring through your fridge and cupboards; finding them still expectedly bare, you snapped your fingers and sauntered over to your closet, pulling out the dusty bottle of rum that Eddie had graciously given to you as a gift out of his personal stash after he had forgotten your birthday last year. Pouring yourself a generous slosh in your mug, you slumped down at your table and took a swig, spluttering as the flavour of it was what you presumed battery acid would taste like.

"Bloody hell Eddie, how can you drink this stuff?!"

Pushing the mug to one side and drumming your fingers on the table, you mumbled 'recordings' over and over to yourself, hoping it would trigger a glimmer of something. After several minutes, the only thing you could come up with was when you had called Gist about the money, but as Shay had mentioned blackmailing _him_ , you knew that wasn't right, as that didn't implicate him in anything in the slightest. The only way you could find out was to try and get Shay to tell you, but as you had no idea where he was right now, that wasn't an option at the moment.

Grabbing hold of your stomach when it began rumbling furiously; now finding it hard to concentrate with being so hungry, you slunk off the chair and crawled over to the forests worth of mail on the floor, sifting through the pile in search of a decent takeout menu. After tossing a few of the circulars aside, you cocked your head curiously when you spied a crisp white envelope that seemed very out of place, peeking from inside a Chinese menu. Plucking it out, you rolled it in your hands for a moment; even more baffled when you saw that it was completely blank, before ripping it open and tipping its contents on your lap. The corner of your mouth twitched when you snapped up a business card, with nothing on it but a mobile number, and a familiar smiley face.

Dragging yourself up, you upturned your bag and shook it until your phone dropped out, keying in the number and saving it under the name 'Perv' with a snigger. After sending a quick text with nothing but the word, Coffee? on it, you carried on looking through the menus, sighing when you couldn't decide between them all. Clicking on the message when one came back quicker than you expected, you dropped back down on the chair with a groan, when it confirmed what you already knew.

**Can't right now, unexpected friends turned up and had to take a short trip. Hopefully back in a day or so. Glad you got your phone sorted!**

Of course that's why he contacted you like this, neither of them knew that you had picked up another phone yesterday, so you made a mental note not to tease Gist for one whole day for his quick thinking while you replied.

_Okay, let me know when you're back._

**Will do. Our friend says, Miss you Xx**

You burst out laughing when another message quickly followed with three eye roll emojis, making you rethink your lack of teasing to now, half a day.

_Where's his phone? Miss you both, one of you more than the other of course!_

**He dropped it while, running? I knew it! I shan't let our friend know, it stays between you and me ;)**

Aaaaand that was his reprieve gone. You were still chuckling to yourself as you rolled your eyes and went back to the menus, almost dropping your phone when it started ringing in your hand. Connor?! Now this was strange, as he usually avoided calling people if he could, much preferring messaging as he was always busy doing something or other, and finding someone's voice blaring in his ear far too distracting.

"Hey, is everything okay? Don't tell me you need more help with Jacob already?" You snorted, imagining him trying to sneak out of his room in just his gown.

_"(Name)..."_

You froze as the tone of his voice sent a shudder through you, which was somewhere between panic and on the verge of tears as he repeated your name when you didn't answer him.

"What is it?! What's wrong?!" 

_"Achilles. He has been rushed to the hospital..."_

"I'm on my way." You whispered, your fingers holding your phone so tight that it was on the verge of shattering in your palm.

 

 

After breaking nearly every traffic law in the book, you cursed out loud when the only parking space you could find was three blocks away from the hospital. Sprinting the rest of the way, you were barely able to breathe by the time you almost slammed into the automatic doors, as they decided to open at a snail's pace. Pushing your way to the front of the queue at the receptionists' desk, you ignored the murmurs and scowls from everyone, slamming your hand on the counter while you tried to speak through your rapid breathing.

"A-Achilles... Daven..port. Where... Is he?!"

"There is a line you know." The now surly woman grumbled, adjusting her glasses before typing on her computer. "He's just been admitted to ICU..... Hey! Family only!"

You knew your way around enough to dart off before she had even finished and had a chance to call security, skidding to a stop at the lifts and mashing the button repeatedly. Barging out the elevator impatiently after it had stopped at _every single fucking floor_ before reaching the ICU, you slowed down and hesitantly walked over when you saw Connor sat on one of the benches outside the first room, head buried in his hands. Crouching down in front of him, you gently placed your palm on his cheek and tilted his head up, immediately throwing your arms around him when you saw his eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

"What's happened?" You whispered, not even caring that your ribs were on the verge of breaking when he returned the embrace.

"Pneumonia. I-It's...bad. The doctors say..."

Holding on as tightly as you could when he couldn't continue and chocked back a sob, you stayed there for a moment before managing to twist yourself so you could sit next to him, your head snapping up with a glare when two security guards had finally caught you up and were yelling at you to leave. You couldn't see Connors face, but you could assume what his expression was when they suddenly stopped in their tracks, holding their hands up and walking backwards, absolutely terrified.

"Wish I could do that." You chuckled, giving him a soft smile when he took a deep breath, and the corner of his mouth twitched. "What can I do? To help? Need me to get anything for you?"

"Just stay with me (name)."

And that's precisely what you did.

 

 

You were here all night, calming him down when his temper rose, and as a pillow for him when he broke down. You had finally managed to get him to stop pacing around six in the morning, and he was now laying on the bench with his legs dangling off of the end, and his head on your lap, snoring softly. Stroking his hair to keep him soothed, you rested your head on the wall and dared to close your eyes for a moment, trying to ignore the twisting and gnawing ache of your stomach, as you hadn't eaten in nearly two days. Not wanting to fall asleep yourself, you flicked your eyes open and just stared at the ceiling, trying not to chuckle as Connor had now started murmuring while he dozed.

"Mrs, Um, Raah...ton...hnng..?"

Lolling your head forwards and, raising your eyebrows to the weary-looking nurse who had managed to sneak up on you in your sleep deprived state, you rolled your eyes as she stared at her clipboard and frowned, silently mouthing (and failing) the name again. You decided to put her out of her misery after the third attempt, but not correcting her assumption of who you were, as you didn't want to risk almost getting thrown out again.

"Ra-doon-ha-gay-doon. Yes?"

"Mrs Ra...doo... I give up. Sorry. Your father is stable, for now, and he is awake. You can go in and see him, but please keep it brief, he is very weak."

Nodding to the nurse as she walked away, you shook Connors' arm gently to wake him, surprised when he turned his head and stared at you wide-eyed with a slight grin.

"I heard. _Mrs_."

"Oh get up you big oaf. My leg fell asleep an hour ago." You giggled, massaging your thigh when he sat himself up and stretched out. "Why didn't you just put Connor?"

"It is a habit when I fill out a form. Also, it is always amusing hearing people try to pronounce it. "

"Who knew you were so evil? I'll grab us something to drink okay? Won't be long."

You patted his hand gently as he squeezed your shoulder with a soft smile before creeping into Achilles room, leaving you to wander off and find a literal, **bucket** of caffeine.

 

 

On the way back, you thought you'd best check up on Jacob while you were here, finding him in the same room you had left him in yesterday. Poking your head around the door, you winced at the brace that was around his leg before turning to go when you saw that he was asleep, stopping in your tracks when he mumbled something that you didn't quite catch.

"What was that?"

"I said, about time someone came to see me."

Closing the door and slumping down into the chair next to the bed, you finished off the remnants of your drink and immediately started on the next, hissing when you burnt your tongue slightly in your haste.

"Yeah sorry, been a bit busy. So what was the diagnosis?"

"Ribs are just bruised, but my kneecap is busted. Gonna take about two months to heal up. Soooo, what was so important that you couldn't come and see your favourite mate? What _are_ you doing??"

Stopping prodding your tongue where the scorch mark was with a shrug of your shoulders, you ran your hand over his brace thoughtfully, as you wondered just _who_ was going to be helping him with his recovery with everything going on at the moment.

"Guess you didn't hear. Achilles got rushed in yesterday, I've been upstairs all night with Connor."

"What?! Why?? Is he sick?! Did he have an accident??"

 _Balls._ You had forgotten that Achilles didn't want anyone knowing what he was going through, but seeing as you had already put your foot in it, you might as well tell him, as there was already a high chance of him finding out anyway with him being here. 

"Right. You tell **no one** this. You understand?"

You narrowed your eyes when he crossed his chest with the tip of his finger; wondering if he was being sincere, but as he looked genuinely worried for a change, you believed you could trust him with the said secret.

"Achilles is sick. Very sick. Cancer. And before you go off on one for no one telling you, the only people who know are Altäir and Connor. I found out by accident."

Sitting there in uncomfortable silence as he just lowered his head and stared at his leg, you grabbed your drink and fiddled with the lid while you let what you had said sink in. Just like you, he didn't know Achilles very well, but as bad as losing one of your own was, it was the fact that it was _Connors_ father that made it worse.

"Um, I've gotta get back. I'll come down again when I can alright?"

Getting up when he nodded his head numbly, you made your way back upstairs, just as Connor came out of Achilles room with a doleful expression.

"Here, I got you one of those Innocent smoothies you like, with the extra plant mush. How is he?"

Passing him the bottle and plonking yourself back down on the bench, the corner of your eye started doing something resembling a nervous tick when he drank half of its contents in one swallow, before scoffing as he sat down next to you.

"He is resting, but the doctors say that the antibiotics might not work. We shall have to wait and see. Here. Will you just try it?"

Your face contorted into a grimace when he shoved the juice into your free hand, gesturing for you to take a sip. Sniffing it timidly before slowly putting the bottle to your lips, you almost choked when he tipped it up with his finger, forcing you to take a hefty gulp.

"See? It is nice, isn't it."

 _Actually, it's not that bad..._ But you would never in a million years admit that, so as soon as you had managed to swallow the green slop, you stuck your tongue out and scraped at it with your nails, before finishing off your own drink; sloshing it around your mouth first.

"Blergh! I think I've been poisoned. Good job we're already in a hospital."

You grinned smugly as you had managed to cheer him up for a moment when he let out a heartfelt chuckle, but it didn't last long when he sat back with a heavy sigh and, stared at you out of the corner of his eye.

"Achilles, he wants to see you."

"Me? Why?"

"I do not know, but he was insistent. Will you go in?"

Raising your eyebrows in bewilderment as you sat there for a second, trying to guess what on earth he would want to speak to _you_ about, but you thought it best not to linger and nodded as you got up, closing the door quietly behind you.

You hovered at the back of the room for a moment to let your eyes adjust to the dim lighting, then slowly parted the curtains that were drawn around the bed, pursing your lips when you saw Achilles hooked up to several softly beeping machines, and an oxygen mask over his face.

"Achilles? You wanted to see me?" You whispered, sitting down on the chair next to the bed when his eyes flickered open.

Drifting your gaze over his face when he pulled down the mask, you couldn't believe how different he looked compared to the last time you saw him. His skin was hanging off his bones, as he had lost a lot of weight from what you could only assume was by having chemotherapy, and his eyes were glassy, almost lifeless as he turned his head to face you.

"Yes." He croaked, as speaking and breathing was probably the most painful thing he could do right now, wheezing in between words. "I need... you to do...something for me. Will...you do it?"

You nodded without thinking, as whatever it was you were going to make sure you did it, without question.

"Connor. Take care...of him for me. He...will need...your help. So...proud of him...my boy."

"Of course, sir. That's not something you ever needed to ask."

Gently taking his hand while he pulled his mask back up to take a few more swallows of oxygen, your eyes widened slightly when he pulled it back down again to carry on talking, his hand squeezing your fingers as tight as he could muster.

"There is...something else. A-a traitor...in our folds. You...must find them. Speak...to Altäir..."

He trailed off when your fingers noticeably flinched in his palm, his eyes locking with yours and holding your gaze for what felt like an eternity, boring into your soul as if he was reading your mind. His hand snapped away from you as what was left of the colour in his face drained away, leaving you just staring at him blankly.

"No...it can't be...not...you"

"Achilles, plea-"

"No...no. Nonononono!"

You jumped up when the alarms suddenly set off on the machines, rapid, loud beeping drowning out his words before he started coughing, making you pull his mask back up when his lips started turning blue.

"It's not what you think! Please Achilles, calm down! Nurse! Doctor, anyone!!? Help!"

Trying to keep the mask on him while he was flailing about, you sat him up when with one more rattling cough, he covered the inside of it with dark red blood, the machines now ringing even faster in your ear.

"You need to leave!"

Stepping to the side and pressing yourself up against the wall as several nurses and a doctor barged by you, you wrung your hands and slid across it slowly towards the exit, crashing into Connor who was hovering in the doorway, his face contorted in fear.


	28. Chapter 28

Achilles Davenport died at one that morning.

You were now half laid on the sofa in Connors apartment, with him clinging onto you as he stared numbly at the wall, as he had been doing for the past several hours. He hadn't said a word to you since they called time of death, which was leaving you very conflicted considering the only company he seemed to want was yours, and for a fleeting moment, you had thought he had blamed you for his fathers' death.

You had initially thought that too as you were the one who had made him upset, but as predicted the antibiotics hadn't worked and the infection ravaging his system was just too much for his body to handle, and had eventually won.

Several people had already called to offer their condolences, including Eddie who was stuck up in Portland trying to get the last few bits of his ship fixed, but he had refused to speak to any of them. You looked down when he let out a shuddering sigh and shifted his position so he could wind his arm further around your back, stroking his cheek gently when he tilted his head up so he could see you.

"What did Achilles want to talk to you about?"

"Hmm? He asked me to do him a favour. To look after you, keep you out of trouble."

You chuckled slightly when he scoffed and laid back down, suddenly jerking up to sitting when he noticed he was resting on the side of your breast, his face going a lovely shade of pink.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. That cannot be all he said?"

"He told me how very proud he was of you, he loved you to bits, I hope you know that. Also said he wanted me to help find a traitor, but that's not important right now, I'll deal with that in a bit. And don't worry about the boob thing, not like you were trying to cop a feel?"

Throwing him a cheeky wink and swatting him with one of the sofa cushions when his fluster deepened even further, you suddenly stopped in your mocking when a loud tinkle came from the other side of the apartment, slapping your head and dragging your hand down your face when you realised what it could be.

"You gave him a bell?!"

"It was either that or listen to his incessant squawking. This way is much softer on the ears."

Shrugging your shoulders in knowing he was probably right, you dragged yourself up and skidded across the polished wooden floor as you only had socks on, eliciting deep laughs from both the men as you nearly crashed into the wall.

"Yeah yeah, I'm hilarious. What do you want?"

Resting your hands on your hips while you waited for Jacob to calm down, you scowled at him when he tried to keep a straight face, but failed miserably when you wobbled and nearly slipped again.

"Think I'll call you Bambi from now on! I need to piss, gimmie a hand?"

"What? You need help getting from here, to here?! Do it yourself." You jeered, wafting your arms back and forth in the whole two feet of space between his bedroom door, and the bathroom.

"You _are_ joking, right? You've got two working legs and can barely stay standing on that floor, I've got no chance."

You groaned as you walked in and helped him up off the bed; knowing he was going to milk this for all it was worth, draping his arm over your shoulder and letting him use you as a crutch while he hobbled to the bathroom. Now that he had done his business and you had fixed him a snack, hopefully keeping him quiet for a while, you carefully sat back down next to Connor; who was now dozing while still sat up, lacing your hands behind your head and closing your eyes, hoping to get a little shut-eye yourself.

Just as you were about to nod off, you jolted when your phone vibrated in your pocket, silently cursing whoever it was that dared to interrupt with a bad timing message as you tugged it out.

**Back at the hotel now, guessing you had something to do with that? Your things are there too. Our friend has a phone again by the way, the same number.**

Well, at least one good thing has happened today. You thought, slightly surprised that Haytham kept his word.

_Okay. Bit busy at the moment, will try and get over later._

**We heard. Our Condolences.**

Frowning slightly as you wondered how he could have known that, you burst into a fit of giggles when another message came straight after the last one; a gif this time, of a little bear bounding about before leaping at the screen, smooshing itself against it in a hug.

"What's so funny?"

The corner of your eye crinkled when you saw that you had woken Connor up with your laughing, but there was nothing you could do about it now, and as he couldn't see anything incriminating you turned your phone so he could see the picture that you were still tittering at.

"Very cute. Who is 'Perv'? Another new name for my grandfather?"

"No, just a friend. I seem to attract all the dirty old men."

"Not just the old ones, from what I have heard." He jested, nudging you with his arm when your eyebrows rose to your hairline, which stayed there when he looked you over and slight alarm graced his features. "You can go if you want, Jacob will keep me, company. Thank you for staying with me."

"You sure?"

Getting up to standing when he took your hands and pulled you up with a nod, you raised up on your tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing your things.

"Okay. You call me if you need anything alright?"

Ignoring Jacobs yelling out to ask you where you were going, you darted out the door before anyone could drag you back, pulling out your phone and messaging Shay this time.

_On my way. Need. Food. X_

 

You were feeling a little self-conscious as you entered the hotel and stood waiting for the lift, as the staff that you knew all seemed to be frowning and whispering, not doing very well at being subtle about it. Pushing it out of your mind as you dragged yourself into the room and dropped your bag by the doorway, the slight of a smile you had managed to muster up soon fell when Shay jumped off the sofa, his face contorted in worry.

"Bloody hell love, are you okay?"

"Why does everyone keep looking at me like that? Do I have another head growing out of my neck or something?"

Letting him lead you to the large, ornate mirror on the wall by your shoulders, you soon realised why he was so concerned when you gazed at your reflection, barely even recognising yourself. Your hair hadn't been washed in god knows how long, your cheeks were sallow; with the rest of your face having a sickly grey tinge to it, and the bags under your eyes were more comparable to suitcases, that you doubted even a truckload of Maybelline and a trowel would cover. Basically, you looked like death warmed up.

"Oh. Yeah, guess I have been burning the candle at both ends."

"You don't say. Eat, shower, then bed. Now."

Your eyes slowly followed to where his finger was pointing towards on the other side of the room, your stomach immediately rumbling and snarling at you when they settled on a pizza box that was sat on the coffee table.

"Oh, you gorgeous man! ThankyouthankyouIloveyouthankyouthankyou!" You babbled as you cupped his face and smattered him with little kisses, before dashing over and dropping to your knees beside the table.

Flipping open the box and tearing out a piece, you took several bites of the cheesy goodness, stuffing your mouth full before turning back to Shay, who was just stood there running his hand through his hair anxiously, his cheeks getting visibly redder as a warm smile crept up his face.

"What?" You managed to ask, when you were finally able to swallow the contents of your mouth.

"Nothing love. C'mon, eat up before it gets cold."

 

 

After demolishing three-quarters of the pizza and spending a good half hour in the shower scrubbing yourself, you emerged from the steam filled room feeling slightly more human again, although exhausted enough to almost pass out where you stood. Suddenly noticing everywhere was in complete darkness; only the moon filtering through the windows letting you see anything, you padded your way into the bedroom when you saw a flicker of light through the crack in the door, your eyes widening when you saw candles were lit everywhere, and Shay was laying on the bed in just his boxers.

"There ya are, thought you'd fell down the plug hole." He chuckled as he got up and wove his arms around you, kissing you gently.

"Mmm, I needed that. Um, I know it's been a few days, but I'm beat. Can we wait..."

You were cut off by his lips pressing against yours again and, his fingers finding the edge of the towel where you had tucked it in around yourself, tugging at it to make it drop to the floor next to your feet.

"Lie down on the bed, on your front."

Now thoroughly confused, you did as you were asked and crawled onto the bed, collapsing in the middle of it and closing your eyes now it felt like you were surrounded by clouds. Your eyebrow rose and you opened your eye a slither when you felt the mattress dip down next to you, and something warm with a strong, spicy aroma was poured onto the small of your back.

A gasp caught in your throat when he used his palms to spread it over you, before his fingers made slow and sensual circles, spreading out like ripples in a pond. You fought the urge not to writhe under him as he continued upwards, his thumbs digging in slightly when they found a particularly tense muscle between your shoulder blades, kneading and working it loose before carrying on. All of your tension of the past few days melted away as his fingers splayed and closed over you, making you sigh softly into the duvet as the rest of your body received the same lavish attention. Neck, shoulders, rear (which he paid particular attention to), thighs and calves, even your feet, nothing was missed from his attentiveness.

The only problem was, that as much as you tried to relax from the pampering, you were becoming all too aware that you were getting deliciously aroused from Shays caresses and the heady aroma tingling your senses, squeezing your legs closed to try and stop the wetness that had nothing to do with the oil, from growing. You whimpered when he gently turned you over and planted a chaste kiss on your head, before spilling more oil into your navel and, repeating the same actions on your front. You couldn't help the shuddering sigh when his fingers travelled up your stomach and encircled your breasts, raising and fondling them but without actually touching you intimately. But you could sense that he wanted to, especially when you heard him swallow hard as he massaged the tops of your thighs and over your hips, your hands curling into the bedding so you didn't squirm from how you were feeling right now. 

A succession of delectable shivers ran through you as he drifted up your sides and leaned over you to take your arm, your eyes flickering open and gazing downwards for a moment, which only served to make you instinctively lick your lips when you saw he was straining _very_ hard against his boxers. Slowly raising your hand so he wouldn't notice you moving, you trailed your finger up his length, pouting when he brushed your arm away with a chuckle.

"You're supposed to be relaxing."

"I am." You simpered, reaching out to touch him again and, plucking at his waistband before palming him gently through the fabric. "You've got to be uncomfortable like that?"

"I'll sort that later, you need to rest."

"Could I, at least watch you?"

You bit your lip coyly as he leant back slightly and narrowed his eyes playfully, shaking his head and sighing as you walked your fingers across his stomach before dragging your nails across it, making him shudder.

"If I say yes, will ya please go to sleep after?"

Giving him a series of little nods, the tingling in your lower abdomen multiplied at the prospect of getting to watch him play with himself, as it wasn't something you hadn't experienced with him so far, and you were eager to see what he liked.

"Ya know, I had a lot of self-control before I met you." He whispered huskily as he let go of your arm and lay down next to you, lifting his hips to remove his pants and toss them aside.

"Mmm, did you now? What did I do to make you lose that?"

Instead of answering you he turned towards you while propping himself up on his elbow and cupping your cheek, brushing his thumb against your lips before capturing them with his own in a passionate kiss; tongues entwining softly, making you keen and instantly tremble against him.

"Well, when ya do that for starters." He mumbled as he pulled away breathless, rolling on his back and sliding one hand under his head.

You shuffled onto your side so you could see better without straining your neck, your eyes widening when his fingers closed around his length, smearing what was left of the oil over himself before stroking gently. A shameless whimper left you as he readjusted his grip so that his forefinger brushed the underside of his head with every movement, making the twisting tension in your core grow unbearably with need. You managed to drag your eyes away long enough to look up at him, a warm flush rising up your chest and face when you realised he'd been looking at you the entire time, his lips parted and his eyes almost black as he held your gaze.

Glancing back down when his eyes closed briefly and a small groan passed his lips, your already sensitive body jerked desperately and your walls clenched tight when you saw a glistening bead of precum leak from his tip, just before he caught it with his finger and spread it down his shaft. 

You parted your legs as you couldn't take it anymore when his hand picked up in pace; a sinful wet sound from his oil-drenched palm mixed with his leaking coming from under his rapidly moving fist, trailing your fingers over your mound before sliding your middle one through your crease and circling your swollen nub gently, as the massage and erotic sight before you already had you on the cusp of climax.

"Goddamn it woman." He growled, the tone of his voice making you think he was angry, but you soon knew better when his face was filled with lust and adoration as he gently pushed you onto your back and lay on top of you, using his arm to support himself.

His hand curled around your neck and pulled your mouth to his, kissing you so long and deep it made you gasp. You quivered uncontrollably when he ploughed his cock through your groove, the slickness from the oil and your arousal heightening every tantalising stroke against your clit, making the tension inside you build to an almost explosive pitch. He pulled away just enough so he could see your face, his breath hot on your lips as he caught your leg and hooked it over his hip, holding it there and shifting himself so he was nudging at your entrance. He groaned as he pushed himself inside you with little resistance, the euphoric twisting of your face upon entry never failing to send an unbridled surge of emotion through him.

You draped your arms over his shoulders when he slowly started rolling his hips, his scorching body sliding over you that made every nerve inside you alight and flourish. Your breathing became shallower and faster when he softly kissed your cheek, removing his hand from around your neck and grasping one of yours, pressing it into the pillow above you and twining your fingers with his. You exclaimed quietly when a sudden heat filled your body and you could hear his heart in your head, each beat making you dizzy and sending a deep wave of pleasure through you, getting more intense as his pulse quickened.

Tensing up and moaning softly as he continued to pull out to nearly the tip before filling you again in a continuing slow and gentle pace, you drew your hand from his shoulder and curled your fingers into the hair at the base of his neck, holding his gaze when you could feel him trembling against you and his grip on your leg tightened. You had no idea who climaxed first, but you pulled him down to you and kissed him hard, crying out into his mouth as your body quivered and spasmed, flooding hotly with a flash of lightning and a kaleidoscope of colours as he flushed deep inside you.

He continued to slide against you gently to prolong the lingering waves of your orgasms, his mouth dropping slightly as if he wanted to say something as he caressed your cheek with the back of his hand, but he promptly snapped it shut and kissed you tenderly instead. 

"Now will you sleep?" He whispered, nudging your nose with his as you tried to stifle a yawn.

You sunk into the bed and nodded as he took in your heavy eyes, flushed cheeks and swollen lips, before rolling you both onto your sides and holding you tightly against his chest. You strained your neck to look up groggily when you felt him stiffen against you slightly, raising your eyebrow when you saw he was peeking down attentively.

"Something wrong?"

"I-...No love. Was just wondering what I did good in my life to deserve you."

The blush of your face that had just begun to die down came back with full force as you nestled up against his chest again, closing your eyes and yawning profusely as he stroked the back of your neck.

"Not as good as whatever I did, I assure you. Where did you learn to massage like that?"

"Hmm? I didn't. You're the first person I've done it to. Now go to sleep."

A wide grin spread over your face as your heart fluttered and swelled, your body feeling heavy as you slowly drifted off in his arms, as for once in your life, you dared to let yourself be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had quite a few peeps asking me what age/version of the characters that this story is based on, so these are the closest resemblances I can find XD
> 
> I have no idea who made these, so if they're yours, or you know who they are, please let me know so I can credit them for their amazing work!
> 
> Ps. I can't find a decent one of Jacob, so let's go with halfway between Syndicate and Jack the Ripper dlc age :D
> 
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	29. Chapter 29

Your eyes fluttered open and, you wiped the sheen of sweat off your forehead with the back of your hand as you sat up steadily, taking several deep breaths to slow the pounding in your chest as it was beating as if you had just run a marathon.

Glancing around as you tried to push the disturbing images of Achilles' face when he realised you were a traitor out of your mind, you only just noticed that you were alone in the bed. Shuffling out to peek through the curtains and seeing it was still dark outside, you grabbed the dressing gown off the back of the door and plodded out in search of Shay. You spotted him quickly with his back to you at the dining table; engrossed in typing something, so you leant over and kissed him on the cheek, before sitting on the edge of the table next to where he was working.

"There you are. Feeling better?"

"Mmm, much. What are you still doing up?!"

"Still? It's ten o'clock." He stated, weaving his arms around your waist and pulling you into his lap.

"Ten? Two whole hours sleep, great." 

"No lass, ten on Monday. You've been passed out for over a day."

Your eyes widened as you grabbed his laptop and turned it to you, double checking what he had said as you had never slept for that long in your life. Looking around furiously when it finally sunk in, you went to jump up as your gaze finally landed on your bag, but Shays tightening grip around your middle prevented you from doing so. Cocking your head when he reached around his computer and fumbled about, you took your phone off him slowly when he handed it to you, extremely confused as to why a horde of assassins wasn't banging down the door right now.

"Guessing you're lookin' for this? Gist came over this morning and hacked into the chip, it's turned off now an ya don't need to put in that code. Should be glad I didn't throw it out the window, it's been going off non-stop."

Quickly unlocking it with your thumbprint, you dismissed the seven calls and flicked through the eighteen messages that were on there, grimacing when they were all from Jacob complaining about how Connor was being mean to him, making him exercise and eat _green tree things_ with his dinner, and you needed to get him the hell out of there. You breathed a sigh of relief when you listened to the only voicemail you had, of Altäir sending a mass call to everyone saying that due to the circumstances everyone was allowed two days off to grieve and, were expected back in on Wednesday.

"Hmm, sorry about that. Most of it wasn't even important."

"I was only joking." He chuckled, pulling you down to kiss you gently. "Oh, I forgot to thank you yesterday, for gettin' the boss to give the room back. What did you do to get him to change his mind?"

Flicking through your phone one more time to use it as a distraction while you came up with a good excuse, you tossed it on the table and draped your arms over his shoulders, hoping you had come up with something believable, but would also give you a chance to pry slightly. You didn't want to lie, you even hated yourself for it, but it was better than the alternative.

"Nothing much, just made him realise he was being a complete idiot. Although..."

"Although..??"

Trailing off and furrowing your brow, you scratched your cheek as you contemplated how to word it, without dropping yourself into a spiralling fib.

"I don't know really. I've got the feeling he's hiding something, to use against me if I pissed him off again... I'm not sure though."

"He threatened you?!"

You winced when his arms tightened around you, gritting his teeth and tensing up as if he wanted to run over there and burn the whole building down to the ground.

"Calm down. Not as such, but he heavily suggested that there would be consequences if I made him look like a fool again?"

"I knew it..." He grumbled under his breath, shifting you slightly to the left on his lap so he could pull his computer back in front of him. 

"Know what?!"

"Right, promise me you won't get mad."

You looked at him pointedly, as if to say 'well, duh' as he clicked on something several times, which brought up numerous schematics of Templar headquarters, and a particular one of which you slightly recognised as Haythams work office.

"You know what I mean. Remember that pin you wore for our first mission? Well, I had a gut feelin' that I wasn't the only one watching. Then he confirmed my suspicions when he asked me about that drawing you did, _before_ I'd even mentioned it."

Rolling your tongue in your cheek as you could see where this was going, you zoned out; now thinking that more than just Haythams eyeballs would look good on a stick, snapping out of your revengeful plotting and sighing when you realised Shay was still talking.

"When I confronted him about it, he said that the feed went to his computer too so he could have a look for anything that could help us, but it was deleted. I'm sure he recorded it though, cos he keeps bringin' up little details that no one would have noticed unless they watched it more than once. I didn't know, I swear to ya."

"Son of a bitch... Details such as?"

The corner of your mouth curled up when he shuffled about and lowered his gaze to your lap, his cheeks taking on a pinkish hue when you booped his nose playfully, making you wonder why he kept getting flustered so quickly recently.

"Aww, you're cute when you're embarrassed. Okay, you don't have to say. But why didn't you tell me about it before now??"

"Cute?! Thanks, I think?" He mumbled, which made your eyes roll and a chuckle erupt. "Didn't say anything because I've got no proof. It's what I've been workin' on the past few days."

Now paying more attention to the screen when he pointed at it, you saw that it wasn't only the floorplans were there, but all of the internal ducting, emergency exits and lifts were highlighted too.

"If he has got anything, it'll be on his work computer, not his personal one upstairs because he was in the middle of that bloody merger thing when all that was happening, and he never left the place. You up for another bit of larceny together lass?"

You grinned wickedly and pulled him to you by the collar of his shirt, kissing him firmly before shuffling around on his knee, so your back was up against his chest.

"Stupid question... So, what's the plan?"

 

 

Spending all of the evening formulating a way in and out of Haythams office, you had finally come up with a strategy, and were now stood across the street from Templar headquarters at eight fifteen in the morning. Checking your reflection once more in your compact mirror, you were satisfied enough that even your own mother wouldn't be able to recognise you. You had reached out to one of your contacts Mary Read; who was an expert in disguises, and after being under her skilled hands for several hours, you were now adorning a full latex mask and a somewhat itchy wig, drastically changing your appearance. Knowing that she would have no idea who Shay was, you took him with you (even though he was rather surly about having to wear 'makeup') but as it had taken longer to get him done than yourself and had to leave to finalise a few details, you didn't have a clue what he looked like right now.

Fiddling with your choker that concealed a voice synthesiser as it felt like you were being strangled, you didn't notice that someone was stood behind you until you felt a hand cup your ass. Spinning around quickly and getting ready to punch whoever it was, you suddenly dropped your arm when you looked into the stranger's eyes, recognising them instantly.

"You're late." You scoffed, frowning at the higher pitched voice that came out of your mouth. "Blonde is _definitely_ not your colour either."

Taking a step back to get a better look at Shay, your nose crinkled when you saw he was, well, boring. No distinguishing features at all. His scar had been concealed, and his hair was now sandy ash colour and swept to one side. Most would still find him attractive, but this didn't do anything for you in the _slightest_. But it wasn't like looks mattered at this moment in time, only that he couldn't be recognised, and Mary had done a fantastic job. On the upside, he **was** wearing a black suit and tie so that he could take the place of one of the security guards on the upper levels.

"I'll keep that in mind next time I go to the salon love." He joked. "Sorry about the time, Gist took a bit longer than he thought to get these Id's sorted. Here ya go."

Staring at the badge for a moment when he handed it to you, your eyes narrowed as you read the name on it three times, rolling all the despicable things you could do to Christopher when you saw him next around in your head.

"Kandi?! I sound like a freaking stripper! I'm gonna kill him..."

Clipping it to your blouse and slapping his arm when he burst out laughing, you stomped over the road when you saw that the staff were starting to arrive at work, stopping just outside while you waited for Shay to catch up; who was still sniggering at you.

"Oh shut up, _Gus_. Well, here we go."

Holding your breath as you swiped your card to get through the turnstiles and enter the building, you resisted the urge to smirk when you got through security without any problem and, headed over to the elevators. You were pushed to the back when nearly a dozen other people flooded in, giving you the perfect opportunity to look over the shoulder of the girl in front of you; whose place you would be taking, and sneak a peek at her mobile while she was texting. Taking a phone that Shay slyly handed to you and holding it down by your side, you clicked the screen when you saw that it had paired with her cell, allowing you to clone it.

Flicking through the contacts list quickly, you eventually came across the one you were looking for; stomach-churningly named 'xXhunnibunniXx', and sent a beautifully doctored picture of her kissing a man inside her car. Switching the phone off and slipping it into your bag, you only had to wait several seconds before hers started ringing, pursing your lips when as soon as she answered it, she started becoming hysterical.

_"What?! What are you talking about?? I haven't cheated! Sweetie, please... Wait... Listen to me!"_

You managed to keep a straight face as she banged on every button on the lift in trying to get out, barging through the doors and pretty much screaming down the phone when they finally opened. Sliding her work card that you had managed to snatch off of her bag into your pocket, all you had to do now, was wait until you got to the top floor.

By the thirty second, there was only four of you left in here, and you were becoming impatient at how long this was taking, huffing when the elevator stopped again at the next level. And as your luck would have it, just as the last two people got off the next person to get on was none other than Haytham, whose eyes immediately widened as he saw you, standing a little too close for comfort directly to your right. _Crap crap crappity crap crap!_ You thought as he kept glancing at you out of the corner of his eye, and you could literally _hear_ Shay gritting his teeth.

"Are you new? I do not believe we have met. Haytham Kenway."

Not daring to meet his eye _just in case_ , you took his hand when he extended it, managing to muster up a small smile when he squeezed your fingers briefly.

"Kandi. I'm just here to help out, one of your assistants called in with a family emergency? So I've been told."

"I see. Well, I do hope you enjoy working for me. Perhaps we could see, **more** of each other? Over drinks shall we say?"

Your brow furrowed as you wondered what he was getting at when he leered at you, until you followed his gaze downwards and saw that one of your hold ups had slipped, so the lacy top was now just below the hem of your skirt.

"Oh! Silly me. These damned things just won't stay up! Honey, would you mind?"

Spinning around to face Shay, you hoisted your skirt up and propped your heel up on the waist-high rail next to him, grinning when he slowly ran his hands up your calf and thigh, sliding your stocking into its proper place.

"This is my husband, Gus. He's much better at taking them off of course, but that will have to wait until later. So I'll have to pass on your offer. Thank you anyway."

Shay could barely contain his smirk as you kissed him on the cheek and tugged your skirt back down, wiping your lipstick away with your thumb as Haytham gave him a somewhat surly, but polite nod. You bit back the urge to laugh as he couldn't get out of the elevator fast enough when it finally opened on the second to last floor, leaving you and Shay alone for a moment to sort yourselves out when the doors went to close again; pushing the stop button, so the lift didn't go anywhere.

"Well, that's was, interesting, what made ya say that? You probably shouldn't have done it though, that's not gonna make things any easier for us."

"I know, but I couldn't resist, it was just the first thing that popped in my head. Besides, since when do we ever get to do something as easy as this? Least we can be ourselves, apart from our faces. Suppose that was one way of testing the disguises." You giggled, handing back the phone out of your bag and, taking an earbud and a small, pencil-sized device off of him. 

Quickly double checking that all remnants of your makeup were off his face, you exited the lift, Shay going to the right and taking his position at the security desk, with yourself going to left, joining the other two assistants outside Kenways office.

"Who are you?!" The redhead sat at the main desk several feet away from you asked rather abruptly without even looking up, her long nails that were clacking on her keyboard making you wince.

"Kandi. Last minute temp. Why are there three of us for one person?"

"Give it five minutes, and you'll know. You better be good." She huffed.

It didn't even take that long before Charles stomped out of Haythams office with a tower of files in his arms, splitting it in two and dumping a pile on yours, and the rest on the other smaller desk with an evil grin.

"You know the drill. Make sure the new one keeps up."

"Yes, Mr Lee." The redhead chanted miserably, not bothering to glance up from her computer.

Grabbing the topmost file and flipping it open, you groaned as you recognised its contents, which was page after page of minutes from meetings that all needed typing up, in Lee's almost illegible handwriting. 

This was going to be a looooong day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lovely follower of mine on Tumblr sent me this modern pic of Jacob as I couldn't find one, and it just happens to be spot on for this story! Enjoy ;)
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	30. Chapter 30

All morning you had been typing up the wretched notes, pacing yourself with the other girl so you didn't draw too much attention and, thanking the stars that you didn't have a desk job like this, as it felt like your brain was about to explode from boredom.

What made it even worse, is that any time Haytham needed something he always called on one of the other girls for whatever he wanted, not giving you the chance to plant the miniature camera so you could see what his password was for his computer. Sauntering over to the staff canteen area now you were on your lunch break, you glanced over at Shay; who looked just as irritated as you felt, and gave him a knowing look as you poured two weak looking cups of coffee.

"Please tell me you've done it. I can't stare at that screen anymore." He grumbled, leaning up against the counter and taking the mug you handed to him.

"Nope. You were right, I shouldn't have done what I did this morning. I think this was a big fat waste of time. Is Gist sure he can't get into his computer without the password?"

"He said he could, but not in the time we have. He's good, but not that good love, an there's no one he trusts enough to give it to."

Stirring your coffee grumpily and far more than was necessary, you spun around when Shay nudged you in the arm as someone was calling you by your undercover name, and you hadn't realised. Placing your cup down on the counter when you saw it was Haytham, you bit the inside of your cheek when you saw that he had the other two assistants with him, one on each arm.

"Ah, there you are. Kandi, we are going out for an extended lunch. Please take messages for all of my calls. Also, when you have finished your work, you can take some of theirs so that they do not fall behind while we are out?"

Reaaaaaally wishing you had your hidden blade when all three of them started laughing at you as they walked away, you held back a sarcastic retort when you actually realised that this was a good thing, as you now had the opportunity to get into his office.

"Yes sir, of course. Happy to help." You singsonged through gritted teeth.

"I'll keep an eye out, just in case he comes back, lass. Hurry up so we can get out of here."

Once the troupe had gone into the elevator, you nodded and briskly walked back to your desk, slipping the earbud in from out of your pocket and grabbing a file off the top of the stack, so if anyone _did_ happen to catch you, you could make up an excuse as to why you were in Kenways office. Tilting the blinds down so no one could see you once you had snuck in and closed the door silently, you glanced around for somewhere suitable to place the camera, settling on the bookcase to the left of the desk. Sliding it behind some weird looking trinket and fiddling around until you were satisfied it was completely hidden, you turned around to get the hell out of there before anyone came back, but instead of going you stood rooted to the spot, staring at Haythams computer as the swirls of the screensaver bounced around. _No harm in trying, right?_

Dropping the file on the desk, you gingerly sat down and nudged the mouse to get rid of the screensaver, your eyes widening when the desktop flashed straight up before you, without needing a password. Knowing that Haytham was incredibly organised, you quickly brought up the menu and scoured through the list of programmes, stopping when something piqued your interest. _Warehouse 25?!_ That was the one Achilles had bought at auction not that long ago, thanks to yours and Shaun's help. Making a mental note to come back to it as that wasn't what you were here for, you carried on scrolling until you got to 'Video files', opening it up and scowling when you saw Shay was dead on with his assumptions.

Six recordings in total, and you instantly recognised all of the thumbnail images from when you had worn the pin, apart from one. Opening it up and adjusting the volume slightly when you could barely hear anything, you cocked your head when the video that was playing was recorded at an angle, guessing the insignia was laying on the dining table in Shays hotel room. Fiddling with the settings as Christopher's voice was distorted when he came into the room carrying a suit bag, you strained your ears when it was now more distinct, but still very quiet.

**One tuxedo, with the amendments as ordered. I must say, I don't think I've ever seen you so enthusiastic about a mission before, any particular reason why?"**

_"Cheers mate, just dump it down there. Just happy that I'm gettin outta here, staring at the same four walls is drivin' me mad."_

Gist walked over to the other side of the room, just barely in view as he put his hands on his hips and peered into Shays bedroom, and from what you could see, scratching his chin before turning back with a slightly devious smirk.

**Shay, how long have we known each other? Eleven, twelve years?"**

_"Bout that, what ya gettin at?"_

**"Twelve years, and I've never known you to share your bed with someone overnight. Ever."**

Even though the clip wasn't crystal clear, you could see Shays face getting redder as Christopher laughed at him, making Shay walk over and slam the door to his room shut before going out of sight, but close enough that you could still hear him.

_"The lass was dead on her feet after getting all that info for us. I wasn't about to let her drive home in that state, so I let her stay. Clever girl that one."_

**"And you chose to let her stay in your bed over the couch?! My my..."**

_"It's just a bed."_

**"Just a... Since when?! Even the look on your face is telling me that there's more to it than you're letting on. There is, isn't there?! You, like her?"**

Closing off the video when you could no longer hear anything apart from muffled mumbo jumbo, you sat there with a silly grin for a moment before deleting the evidence of you watching it out of the recent tab; but not getting rid of the recordings as you knew that Gist would sort that later, then going back to find the Warehouse folder that you had noticed earlier, with Shays voice ringing in your ear at the moment you clicked on it.

"Lass what are you doing in there?! Get out, Bill's on his way in!"

"Just a sec...shit! Okay, I'm on my way out."

Grabbing the file as you jumped up out of the chair and moved everything back to where it was, you had just made it to the door when it suddenly burst open, nearly crashing into a very aggravated looking William Johnson.

"Who are you? What are you doing in here? And where the devil is everybody?!"

"I, erm, I'm just one of the temps. Was picking up a file Mr Kenway left for me, he's gone out to lunch, with the other two..."

Flinching when he snatched the file off you and opened it up to check that you weren't stealing anything, he threw it back at you with a huff when he was satisfied that you hadn't and, grabbed a pad off of one of the empty desks, quickly writing something on it before chucking that at you too.

"That old dog. You must make sure he gets that when he comes back."

Nodding to his face, but glaring at him when he turned his back to you and stormed off, you took a quick glance at the note before dropping it down on your desk when you saw that it was just a list of what looked like random numbers. Dropping the file on top of it and slowly walking over to Shay; so you kept your distance from William until he went back into his office, you sighed heavily as you propped your elbows on the edge of his station, trying to avoid his disapproving gaze.

"Yeah I know, that was a little too close for comfort. But, I did manage to get on his computer, there wasn't a password at first."

"What do ya mean, at first? Does he have recordings then??"

Keeping quiet and leaning over slightly, so it looked like you were searching for something when several older businessmen came over to hand in their security badges, you figured that you would be better off at your own desk, and tell him what happened over the comms considering that you had been left all by yourself for the afternoon. Giving Shay a knowing look before heading off and grabbing the other girls stacks of work on your way, you slumped down in your chair and began mindlessly typing up the minutes, slowing down a fraction when you saw he was now alone again.

"Where was I..." You whispered, glancing about to double check that you were definitely alone. "Yes you were right, he does have videos. Of everything I did before the ball, plus one other."

_"The other being of...?"_

You glanced up over the top of your screen and flashed him a cheeky smile when you saw he was looking over, hiding behind it again quickly before anyone caught either of you staring.

"Of you and Christopher in your hotel room, just after he dropped off your tux. Didn't get a chance to see it all, but I got the gist of your conversation."

_"Nothing you don't already know, love."_

Biting your lip when he tried to be dismissive about it but even through the transmission you could hear his voice faltering slightly, you thought you had better leave it alone for now, as there were way more important things that needed discussing before anyone came back.

"Very true. Anyway, the password. His computer was unlocked, but there's a file on there, about a warehouse that Achilles bought at auction right from under Johnson's nose a while ago. But this was recent, made on Friday I think? I tried to open it, but that's when it popped up a password was required to get in it. Reckon Christopher could find out what it is?"

_"Can only ask, I'll try and get ahold of him now, let him know the cameras in place too."_

 

 

Two hours later, and Haytham _finally_ came back from his 'lunch', after apparently drinking slightly more than he should have done during the day. Both the other women also now looked as useless as a wet paper bag, slumping over their desks and giggling amongst themselves, smelling like they'd been rolling about in a vineyard and looking like it too. Ripping off the page of your pad and holding it on top of the numerous other messages that he had missed while he was gone, you jumped up out of your seat, catching him just before he went into his office.

"Mr Kenway! Sir, your messages. And one from Mister Johnson that he insisted I give to you straight away."

Standing there dumbfounded as he stared at you for a moment as if to say _Who the hell are you??_ , you raised your eyebrows when a glimmer of recognition washed over his face as he flipped through the messages, waving his hand to shoo you away when his brain finally caught up.

"Very well. Don't you have work to do?"

"No sir, it's all done. Theirs too."

"All of it?!"

You nodded as his eyes widened at the neatly stacked pile of printed papers on the edge of your desk; expecting some snide comment or witty retort, but he just hovered in the doorway for a moment, then frowning when he actually read the top note. 

"Coffee. Cream, no sugar. Please." He mumbled before stumbling into his office.

"Are you trying to make me look bad?"

Turning to the redhead who was trying to sit upright and make herself look more sober as soon as Haytham was out of sight, you scoffed when she attempted to glare at you and waggled her finger, almost erupting in hysterics when you saw her friend was doing the same.

"Have you seen yourselves? Trust me, you don't need _me_ to make you look bad, you're doing a p-retty good job of that all on your own."

"Excuse me?! How dare you!"

"E, just drop it. You don't want Kenway hearing you." The other girl babbled, sinking back into her chair when 'E' got up and stood in front of you, jabbing her finger in your chest.

"I won't! I've worked too long and too hard to be put up for that promotion, and I'll be damned if some tramp can just waltz in here and take that away from me."

Your eyes narrowed when she poked you again; knowing that you really should walk away from this pettiness, but you just stood there staring when you noticed she had sobered up quite quickly and was now squaring up to you.

"Don't. Poke me again." You hissed.

"Or what? You're going to run off to Haytham and tattle on me?"

Sighing when she did it once more, you quickly grabbed her finger before she could move it away and, twisted it back, compelling her to get down on her knees so that you didn't end up snapping it off. What happened next you weren't expecting, letting go of her and stumbling back when she spun around and swept her leg; so it collided with the back of yours, forcing you to grab hold of the desk to stay upright.

"Stop it!"

Glancing over at the other assistant and seeing she was now huddled up in her chair looking absolutely petrified, you pulled yourself straight and sniffed dismissively when E glared at you before backing down herself, sauntering back over to her desk. 

_Gist, hurry the hell up._ You grumbled under your breath as you stomped over to make Haythams coffee before he came looking for you.

 

 

Slapping your head and grimacing with what Shay had just told you, you began scanning the room for all the vents and exits, as seeing them in person was much better than reading any schematic.

"He's definitely sure? There's no other way around it?"

_"Aye lass. He's never seen a firewall like that before, no external source can get in. Told ya those tech blokes were good. The only way is to get the stuff from his computer directly."_

Tapping your pen on your pad while you fashioned a quick plan in your head; as you knew you couldn't get back into Haythams office now the work day was nearly done, you were now beginning to think that this was becoming more trouble than it was worth as a Mission Impossible style scenario popped into your mind.

"What an arse. I have an idea, but we need to go now, got to pick up a few things."

Grabbing your bag and switching off your computer, you ignored the girl's bleatings of 'you can't leave five minutes early', and paced walked to the elevator, ripping off the damned choker as you went.


	31. Chapter 31

Rubbing at your face to get rid of the last remnants of the wretched latex glue as you sat down on the rooftop, you looked up and grinned when Shay came through the door carrying a small black holdall.

"You get everything that we need?"

"Aye love. All we've gotta do is plug this in and transfer the files, then a virus will kick in to delete whatever we take and wipe our footsteps."

Dragging yourself back up and taking the USB off him, you fiddled with it for a moment before slipping it into your pocket, then leant over the rail with a huff when you saw that Kenways office light was still on.

"Do you really think he would use those videos against us? I know he can be a bit underhanded sometimes, but surely he can't be that despicable."

"I dunno. Either way, I'd rather not have a leash around my neck."

"Good point." You mumbled, glancing at your watch for the umpteenth time tonight. "What the hell is he doing? It's gone one, and I know there was no work for him to do, I checked."

Shay dropped the bag on the floor and rummaged through it until he came across the tablet he was looking for; his eyes widening as soon as it turned on, switching it off just as fast before you even had a chance to see the screen.

"He's got, um, _company_ with him lass."

"What, Charles?" You snickered, full-blown laughing when Shays' eyebrows shot through the roof. "Oh come on, surely you've seen the way he follows him around like a little lap dog, and Haytham's mentioned once or twice that he's, _dabbled_."

"Is that right? Well, it's definitely a woman in there with him, unless Lee's grown himself a pair of tits."

Covering your mouth to muffle your maniacal giggling at the thought of Charles adorning a fake set of boobs, you quickly calmed down when you saw Haythams light finally switch off, letting you know he was, at last, going home for the night.

"That's our cue. Can you see the guards from here?"

Opening the grate to the air ducting and holding it while Shay stared intently over the rooftop and down to the floor below, you grimaced and pulled up your hood when he let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.

"Can hardly see anything this side of the building love. Damned reinforced walls. Two, no, three maybe? Safe to assume that there's at least double that. One more I think on the floor below. Why the hell has he got so much security??"

"Paranoia probably. The old-fashioned way it is then." You giggled, mock bowing and gesturing for Shay to go first so he could take the lead.

Sliding quietly through the ducting until you came to a vent and you could see into the office that you were in earlier, you waited for Shay to undo the screws and give you a signal to go, following him down noiselessly and landing by the side of the security console.

Peering over Shays' shoulder when he looked about and saw the coast was clear, you crept silently behind him on tiptoes when the first guard still had his back to you, allowing you to sneak behind him and hide behind the first desk. Closing your eyes for a moment when you heard a faint ringing in your ears, you grabbed hold of his arm when he went to continue around the room; cocking your head as you concentrated, and could now hear five distinct heartbeats scattered around the floor. Gesturing that there were two to the left, one to the right and another two at the far end, you split up, with you taking the right-hand side of the room.

Keeping crouched down and shuffling forwards when you came to the first guard, you quickly stood up and clapped your hand over his mouth when he went to turn to you, kicking his feet from underneath him and ramming your knee against his throat after quietly lowering him to the floor. When he stopped thrashing around and clawing at your leg, you carefully wheeled the chair out of the way and rolled him under the desk so he wouldn't be spotted, peeking over and smirking when you saw that Shay had already incapacitated the patrol on his side, leaving just the ones near Haythams office to deal with. 

Unfortunately, they were both lent up against E's desk and facing in your general direction, engrossed in conversation and not looking like they were going to move anytime soon. Catching Shay's eye as you contemplated what to do, you huffed under your breath when he shrugged his shoulders and dragged his finger along his neck, knowing that that was probably your best option as you didn't have anything to sedate them with. Keeping him in the corner of your eye when he held up three fingers, you leant forward and got ready to go, lifting up on the balls of your feet when he closed his middle finger. Holding your breath when he got to one, you lunged out the second his fist closed completely, flicking out your hidden blade and sinking it straight into the side of the guard's throat, in perfect harmony with Shays attack on the other remaining guard.

Neither of them made a sound as you hadn't given them a chance to react, not yet retracting your weapon and carefully dragging their limp bodies over to the closet; so their blood didn't spill on the floor, and stuffing them inside so they wouldn't be found straight away.

"Daft question, but you did put the cameras on a loop before we left, didn't you?"

Winking at him when he feigned offence and used his blade to pry open Kenways office door, you slunk in and closed it behind you, clicking on a small torch so you could remotely see without having to flick on the main lights. Thankfully, the computer was still switched on, so you tugged the USB out of your pocket and pushed it into the open port on the side of the monitor; quickly bringing up the video files after the password entered automatically, plus the Warehouse folder and relaying everything to the stick.

"Well, that's not goin' as fast as I thought it would," Shay grumbled when he leant over your shoulder and saw the transfer bar was at 12 per cent, moving at a snail's pace.

"Mmm, guessing it's because of the virus uploading too?"

"Waiting game it is then. Your visions gettin' better, no more pain?"

"Nope. It's a lot easier to control now, and once I've heard somebody, I can usually recognise them again. Plus, it's coming with a few, perks? I'll tell you later." You giggled, wagging your finger when you knew he was about to ask for more details.

Slumping down in the chair and spinning it around, so you were facing the window, a warm smile crept up your face when Shay peeked through the blinds and the moonlight danced over his features, highlighting them in such a way that it made your chest flutter wildly. As soon as he caught you looking, he marched right over and grabbed your hands, pulling you up to standing and giving you a long and tender kiss, before holding you in his embrace and resting his head on yours with a soft sigh.

"Ya gotta stop doing that you know, you'll get me into trouble one of these days." He chuckled, curling his finger under your chin and tilting your head up when you shook with a silent laugh.

"If you insist. This better?"

He rolled his eyes and tickled down your side when you attempted to scowl, but failed miserably and adorned a face-splitting grin instead. But that soon dropped and you tensed up in his arms, your brows knitting together when you heard a faint drumming coming from the other side of the wall.

"What is it, love?!"

"There's someone else here..."

Quickly moving out of his arms and stepping towards the door, you blocked everything else out and focused on the muffled sound, clenching your fists when you made out two distinct beats that were slowly moving about on the far side of the floor. Very carefully inching one of the strips of blind out of the way so you could try and see into the central office, you cursed under your breath when you caught a glimmer of a white hood behind one of the now lit up monitors, jumping back to Haythams computer to see how long you had left.

"Fuck, shit, arse. Assassins." You whispered, ducking down next to Shay behind the desk.

"Well, that's just grand. What the hell are they doing here?! There's no way out of here other than that door, an the download's not finished."

Gritting your teeth when you looked back up and saw it was still only at sixty-seven percent, you quickly shrugged off your coat and balled it up, stuffing it into the holdall as Shay cocked his head in confusion.

"My turn to not let you get caught," You snickered. "I'll distract them and lead them away, you get that finished."

"Lass, no..."

Cutting him off by pressing your lips against his firmly, you nudged his nose with yours and squeezed his hand before crawling back to the door, winking as you opened it silently and slipped out unnoticed. Sneaking down the side of the first desk and poking your head just a fraction around it, a sly smile crept up your face when you actually saw _who_ it was breaking into the computer, making what you were about to do a hell of a lot easier. Inching yourself forward on your tiptoes as you hugged the wall, you flicked out your hidden blade when you were just over a foot away from the person; who still had their back to you, pressing the tip against their neck firmly.

"Tut tut Desmond. Sitting at a desk all day has put you way out of practice."

Chuckling when he slowly turned around to you wide-eyed, you retracted your blade and pulled down your hoodie, taking the opportunity to glance at whatever he was doing on the computer. 

"(Name)?! What are you doing here??"

Keeping your face as neutral as possible when you saw he was trying to hack into Haythams files from this terminal, you got up to standing when you spotted a figure emerge from the shadows, breathing a sigh of relief when it was also someone you knew.

"The same thing as you I'm guessing, trying to get info on the traitor Achilles told me about. Altaïr, it's been a while."

"It has. I admire your commitment (name), but I didn't clear for a mission. Why have you come?"

Leaning over Desmond's shoulder when he stuck a thumb drive into the port, you knew you had to quickly find a way of distracting him somehow, as he had managed to break into the main server and was attempting to copy over whatever he could get his hands on, _including_ the exact same video files that you had come here to steal.

"I wasn't gonna just sit on my ass when there's someone out there betraying us?! Figured this would be the best place to come for any evidence of who it could be. Desmond, move them in bulk, it'll be quicker."

The corner of your mouth twitched when he shrugged his shoulder and did as you suggested, knowing that as there was already a transfer going on, doing it that way would take twice as long.

"Very well, but do not do this again. Everything goes through me from now on, understood?"

Giving him a mock salute and dismissing his somewhat arrogant tone as he was usually like this whenever he was out in the field, you swallowed hard when you saw that their theft was going a damn sight quicker than yours was, with it being almost complete after only a minute. Your only hope was that Gists virus had finished uploading before they had gotten what they were after, but at this moment in time, it wasn't looking likely as it was now ninety-one percent complete, and not showing any signs of slowing.

"Would you care to tell me where the guards are? There was a lack of them when we came up."

_92%..._

"Hmm? Oh, they're under the desks. We need to hurry, I only knocked them out."

_93%.._

"And the cameras? That was your doing as well?"

_96%..._

Dragging your eyes from the screen for a moment when you realised he was waiting for an answer instead of just a nod, you flashed him a beaming grin while still keeping the computer in the corner of your vision, only just resisting the urge to look over towards Kenways office.

"Yep, was a breeze after what you had me doing at the manor. Thanks for that by the way."

_97%.._

"I would have happily traded places with you, trying to locate a mysterious artefact in the middle of the desert wasn't exactly enjoyable."

Internally screaming when the second the bar hit ninety eight percent, the screen flickered several times before going black, the virus apparently having done its magic in the nick of time.

"What the hell?!" Desmond blurted, banging the side of the monitor harshly.

Spinning around on the spot when all of the lights came on and an obscure beeping rang through the air, you quickly pulled your hood up when you saw the little red lights on the security cameras flash, hoping that you had managed to conceal your face in time.

"You tit Desmond, you must have tripped a defence protocol!" You hissed, watching him intently as he pulled out the USB and stuffed it into his pocket.

"No chance, this has gotta be something else. We've gotta go. Now."

Following Altaïrs lead quickly to the side stairwell; wondering how they got in this way as Gist had said they were all electronically locked after eight pm, you were more than slightly impressed when he pulled out a blank keycard and swiped it through the mechanism, the door buzzing which allowed him to push it open. Glancing behind you quickly after letting Desmond go ahead of you, you breathed a sigh of relief when you saw Shay slip out of Haythams office, giving you a quick thumbs up just as the door slammed shut behind you.


	32. Chapter 32

Pressing your hand against the stitch in your side after running down thirty eight flights of stairs, you burst through the exit and slammed it shut, leaning up against it while the others pushed up a dumpster, blocking it entirely so the dozen odd guards couldn't continue pursuing you.

"Well, that didn't exactly go as planned," Desmond panted, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Hopefully we got what we needed though. (Name), you coming with?"

Nodding as you figured you had better tag along; so you didn't raise any suspicions, you caught his spare helmet when he chucked it at you, tugging it on and sliding onto the back of his bike. Quickly winding your arms around him, you burst out laughing and held on for dear life as he apparently thought it would be amusing to race Altaïr, when he pulled off with a wheelspin in his Camero.

 

Just managing to pry your white knuckles from around Desmond's waist when he pulled up to the Homestead in record time, you cursed under your breath before taking off your helmet, as you hadn't managed to nab the memory stick out of his hoodie pocket thanks to his Moto GP style riding. 

"Are you sure you went fast enough Desmond? We aren't supposed to draw attention to ourselves, remember?" Altaïr chided as he got out of his car about a minute later.

"Says you who burned rubber on the way out. You're just a sore loser!"

Biting your lips so you didn't laugh at Altaïrs glaring, you followed them up to the manor and walked straight past the guards; as Desmond just waved them off, and down a corridor to the right, somewhere you had never been since the renovations.

"Can't tell at aaaall you're back, whats next, blood sample?" You scoffed, after passing the palm reader _and_ retina scanner to the central security office.

"Given the circumstances, that might not be a bad idea (name). This way."

Taking in every little detail as you were led through the security room; that now looked somewhat similar to the facility hidden above the suit shop, your mouth dropped open in awe when you came to a large console at the end, standing behind Desmond when both the men took their seats at the desk respectively. Twelve state of the art screens were attached to the large framework in front of you, each one with a different purpose. Flight plans, a list of active members in the field, security footage of the night of the ball and suchlike, until they all went dark when Altair took the USB off Desmond and plugged it in, cracking his knuckles before typing at his usual slow and steady pace.

"Well, looks like it weren't a total loss, there's something on here at least."

You gripped the back of the chair when several folders popped up onto each of the screens; including the Warehouse 25 and video files, and they began opening them one by one, dismissing anything irrelevant like nondescript business-related matters, schedules or banking documents.

"So boys, you gonna tell me about this traitor then? I didn't have a chance to get filled in with everything going on."

Altaïr stopped what he was doing and spun his chair so he could face you; gesturing for Desmond to continue working on the files, his eyes flickering to your hands that were unconsciously on the verge of ripping off the back of Desmond's chair.

"Firstly, you can tell me why you are so, fidgety?"

Letting go and flexing your fingers when you realised what he was looking at, you scowled at the screen when Desmond had already reached the halfway point of his perusing, putting one hand on your hip while wafting the other at the monitors.

"Traaaaaaitooooor... Aren't you just a little bit pissed off?!"

"A valid point. We have noticed some wrongdoings for some time now, and the situation has become progressively obvious. The Templars always know what we are up to, and then there was the theft. I am assuming that you don't know, but after your mission in London, the money that you retrieved was stolen from the safe house mere days later?"

Raising your eyebrows and shaking your head, you glanced back at Desmond's progress and clenched your jaw to act as if you were annoyed at this information, running several scenarios in your head that would distract them enough to stop what they were doing, but none of them seemed feasible at this moment in time. 

"No, I didn't. That's not all you've got to go on, surely?"

"Of course not," Altaïr grumbled irritably, leaning over the desk to pull over a thick file and flicking it open. "We had a contact at Templar headquarters, until recently. She informed one of our members that she heard Kenway and Lee conversing, well more, _arguing,_ about the risks of having an assassin spy. That is why we were there, to see if Kenway kept any information on this defector. I'm assuming you remember Arno?"

"Vaguely, one of your friends that came over from Europe last year?" You mumbled, your attention almost entirely focused on where Desmond was one away from opening the Warehouse folder.

"Yes. He relocated to over here because he was seeing a woman, who just happened to turn out to be a Templar. Elise, I think he said her name was, one of Kenways assistants. Well, before they broke up, she was the one who told him this information, and of course, Arno contacted us straight away."

Your eyes widened when he passed you the folder; which was a dossier on the apparent informant, your gaze settling on the photograph of the redhead that you had a slight _encounter_ with earlier today, wishing you had done more than nearly snapped her finger off now.

"Hey, there's a thought! How about I set you up with Arno? I know you like them tall, dark and foreign."

Slapping Desmond on the arm with a scoff when he spun around and wiggled his eyebrows at you, you handed the folder back to Altair and chose to reveal your 'relationship', as if anything, it would keep him distracted for just a little while longer.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I've already got someone. Thanks though."

"What? Who?! Since when? It's not that bloke from before, is it??"

"It is actually," you huffed when he frowned at you in disapproval. "Bit of crossed wires after all that, it wasn't him that was dicking about. Found out that it was actually his friend I caught doing the dirty."

"That is enough of this idle chatter you two. We came here to gather intelligence, **not** to discuss our personal lives."

Pulling a face behind Altaïr's back and mumbling _jealous cos you haven't got one_ ; which Desmond chuckled at before turning back around and carrying on with the computer, you lent over his shoulder when he finally opened the warehouse folder, screwing up your nose when it was nothing but list upon list of eleven digit numbers and letters. 

"What the... Those look like the numbers of our shipping containers down at the docks?!"

Your eyes didn't once leave the screen as Desmond scrolled through the list, familiarity swarming through you as he went past a sectioned off block, placing where you had seen them before a split second later. They were from the message William Johnson had asked you to give to Haytham, urgently. Before you had any chance to ponder it further, all of the screens jumped about in a flash of green and yellow before going black, loud trumpet fanfare ringing through the speakers. You quickly bit your lips together, so you didn't laugh when Woody Woodpecker filled the monitors, but you failed to keep your composure when Wile E. Coyote followed, sitting on an Acme rocket with a devious grin before lighting it up and splatting himself against the screen.

"You find this amusing (name)?!"

Wincing when Altaïr glared at you as if you had just insulted his mother, you cleared your throat and lowered your head ashamed, but still grit your teeth together with a smirk when Elmer Fudd crept on the screen and pretended he had a Tommy gun and, was shooting towards you.

"No, sir. Not the situation, I was laughing at the cartoons. Don't you like them?"

"No. I do not. Only a weak mind would find these funny," he scolded while throwing Desmond a filthy look, who was now staring at the Tv's and grinning. "Didn't you run the antivirus software??"

"Hey, don't you blame me for this! Of course I did, if you don't trust me, you can do it yourself next time."

Altaïr waved his hand irritably before picking up another report; thinner this time, eyeing you up dubiously before handing it to you.

"As I was saying before this disaster, Arno contacted us straight away, and also helped us compile a theory. We believe that the person we are looking for had to be at both theft locations, which narrows the pool down significantly."

Flicking through the paperwork and reading it at your usual rapid speed, you trailed your finger down the sheet when you came across a list of the people that were in your group in London, all of the names crossed out, apart from three. Henrys, Jacobs, and your own.

"As you can see we have narrowed it down to less than a handful of people, who had the opportunity to contact the Templars, due to a, _disappearance_ during each event. I have my own idea of who it could be."

You rolled your tongue in your cheek as you carried on reading times and dates of when you were all unaccounted for, until you glanced up through your eyelashes to him staring at you blankly.

"Y-you think it's m-"

"Henry Green."

Dropping the file on the floor completely gobsmacked for a moment, you fell to your knees so you could pick up all of the documents that were now scattered about, bursting out into hysterics when you snatched up several surveillance photographs from London.

"Henry?! Really? You've gotta be kidding," You blurted when you finally managed to calm yourself down slightly and catch your breath. "He's the last person I'd suspect, the man doesn't have a devious bone in his body!"

"Do you have another suggestion then?"

Shaking your head quickly as his eyes narrowed and you felt like you were under a microscope, you finished stuffing all of the papers back into the folder and handed it back, now rather eager to get out of here as soon as humanly possible.

"No, sir. But I do think you're wrong. Why him?"

"He cannot account for his whereabouts for a portion of the ball for starters, while you were dancing I believe? And then there is the fact he has access to all of our intelligence, plus numerous contacts and allies all over the world. It was also he that suggested that specific safe house in Whitechapel. All of the evidence is against him. Desmond, fix this. Now. Or so help me I'll have you scrubbing toilets for the next week."

Satisfied **you** were in the clear for now, you slowly began inching your way towards the door as it looked like the men were about to get into a full blown argument; and you didn't want to be caught in the middle, freezing to the spot when they both suddenly stopped mid-sentence and turned to face you as soon as you turned the door handle.

"Where are you going?!" They both chanted simultaneously, Altaïr irritably and Desmond pleading.

"Umm, home? Not exactly much I can do here as it looks like a virus has wiped what we've stolen, and it is gone three in the morning."

"I'll give you a lift."

You didn't even have a chance to reply before Desmond jumped up out of his chair and grabbed you by the arm, almost giving you whiplash as he dragged you out of the manor in his haste to get away from his boss.

 

As soon as you made it to your apartment, you ran inside and slammed the door behind you, slumping down it and rubbing your face in your hands vigorously. This was all going so very wrong, and there was not a chance in hell that you would let Henry take the fall for this. Pulling out your phone and seeing that it was nearly eight in the morning in London, you stared at the wall after going through your contacts list, trying to think of what you could say as the ringing continued in your ear.

**This is the voicemail of Henry Green. If you would be so kind, please leave a message after the beep.**

_Oh for fuck's sake ...._ "Henry! You need to call me back asap! It's urgent!"

Hanging up your phone and dropping it down on the floor next to you, you banged your head on the door out of habit more than anything else, wincing when you jumped and did it again; harder this time, as your ringtone blared in the air.

"Henry?!"

**"(Name), what's the matter? Are you in trouble??"**

"I'll explain in a minute, you need to answer me something first. Achilles birthday, you ran off for a bit while I was dancing? Where did you go??"

You rubbed your temples when only silence returned, but you knew he was still there as you could hear him breathing down the line.

"Henry. Come on, this is important!"

**"Okay. I was with Jacob, trying to calm him down when you went off with Sergei. His temper was through the roof, and I was afraid he was going to do something stupid. Well, more stupid than normal anyway. What does it matter?"**

"Can anyone else vouch for you?"

**"I don't think so, other than Jacob. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"**

Great. The only person who could help dig Henry out of this just happened to be the one other that was being suspected of treason. You didn't care about yourself anymore, your only goal was to get Henry's name cleared as this was all of your fault in the first place.

"You're being investigated as a potential traitor, working with the Templars."

Holding your phone away from your ear when he began yelling down it; saying that was absurd and he would never betray anyone, you pressed the loudspeaker button when you couldn't get a word in edgeways, and to save your eardrum from exploding.

"Henry... Henry! HENRY! Will you shut up for one damned second!! Thank you." You grumbled when he finally stopped being hysterical.

"I know it's not you, I told them as much. It's all a big misunderstanding okay? Right, now here's what we're gonna do..."

Dragging yourself up off the floor and stomping over to your kitchen, you flicked the kettle on, to prepare yourself for yet another sleepless night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for bearing with me! I've not quite caught up yet, but updates should be more regular from now on XD


	33. Chapter 33

Scowling at your reflection in the mirror when no matter what you did you couldn't conceal the bags under your eyes; chucking down your foundation in defeat, you picked up the folder that was sat on the edge of your dresser instead. Flicking through the transcripts of Henrys and Jacobs 'interviews' under polygraph for the third time this morning, you couldn't help but smile when it revealed that they had passed with flying colours, as expected. You, of course, had sailed through your own, Altaïr commenting that you either had nerves of steel or you were dead; as the needle barely even moved during your questioning, giving you some breathing space at last, but none of you were out of the woods yet.

The entire Brotherhood were on high alert in trying to find the traitor, and as you were **still** one of the three likely suspects, you had surveillance put on you for the time being; as had the others, making any attempts to see or contact Shay damned near impossible. Even though you had been given a new _unhackable_ phone, (after managing to convince them that you were terrible at keeping an eye on yours and it must have been messed with at some point) and a new couple moving in downstairs, (who you knew had been sent to keep an eye on you but played along that you had no idea who they were) you had managed to pass on a message to him, thanks to Gist pretending to be a vendor at the market after he hadn't heard from you in a while, and you had scribbled a note on the back of your shopping list.

All of your time recently had either been spent perfecting your skills in losing your 'tail', or attempting to hack into the Templars systems for _anything_ that would throw the assassins off your trail. Thanks to the ID and work card you had stolen from their headquarters before, you had, at last, managed it in the early hours of this morning. There was, _something_ that had piqued your interest, but you needed more time and help to delve into it further, but having neither at your disposal right now it would have to wait just a little bit longer.

It had been a long few days that was for sure, and today was just going to add on to the massive pile on your plate. Getting up and peeking out of the window when a car horn blared from outside, you grabbed your bag and smoothed down your dress, running down the stairs and jumping in the town car where Connor was waiting for you.

"Hi, you okay?" You whispered as you fiddled with his tie to set it straight. "Sorry, dumb question."

"Thank you. I am, alright, given the circumstances. I will be much better when today is over."

Taking his hand and holding it tightly with a sigh, you nodded to the driver to let him know he could leave, spending the short journey to the cemetery in complete silence.

 

 

You had barely gotten out of the car when you felt a hard prodding in your back, smacking Jacobs crutch out of the way when he continued poking you with it after you had spun around to see what it was.

"This is a funeral you moron, can't you behave for a single hour?!" You snapped, immediately regretting it when his face dropped in hurt. "Sorry. Between next to no sleep and being watched constantly I'm about to explode."

"Hey, I'm in the same boat, I know the feeling. Trust me, if it weren't for my knee I'd be going all out rage for these fucking accusations. Least I got the big guy keeping an eye on me and not some randoms peeking through my letterbox."

"There is that. Evie still in the dark?"

"Course she is, can you _imagine_ what she would do if she found out?? Greenie made a deal with the council that he wouldn't go out by himself as long as they didn't tell her. He's not happy about keeping it a secret, but at least this way he's not got a psycho wife to worry about too."

Giving him a lopsided smile and a gentle hug, you walked at a snail's pace alongside him; over the grass to where the service was being held, your eyes widening in surprise to how many people were attending. There had to be at least sixty guests here, half of which you had never seen before in your life. After helping Jacob manoeuvre through the crowd and getting him a seat on the edge of one of the isles because of his leg, you were just about to slide in next to him when Connor stopped you by grabbing your arm, gently pulling in encouraging you to follow him.

"Will, you sit with me (name)?"

"At the front? I thought that was for fami-"

You cut yourself off when your gaze flickered between his pleading expression and the row of chairs that were closest to the grave; which were completely empty apart from Eddie, nodding and linking your arm through his as he led you to sit next to him.

"Hey up (name), I hear you got yourself a couple of stalkers?"

Grimacing when Eddie nudged you in the arm after you sat down in between both the men, you bit back a sarcastic retort as you knew it was just his way of trying to cheer you up, but still, it wasn't really something you wanted to talk to him about at this moment in time.

"Yeah, gonna start sending them out to fetch my groceries I think, they know what I want for dinner even before I do. How's the Jackdaw? All fixed?"

"Just about, cost me a small fortune but now she's better than ever."

Turning your attention back to the front when the minister came out and looked like he was getting himself ready to start, you slid your arm through Connors and squeezed tightly when he tensed up, looking like he was about to jump out of his seat and bolt out of here when the ceremony began.

As expected, the beginning of the service was short and sweet, but the hardest part was about to begin, which was Connors eulogy. You had spent hours with him writing page upon page of notes, but in the end, he had decided to scrap them all and just say whatever came to mind. You hated that you weren't able to grieve with him, and you wished that there was more that you could do, but after being praised and thanked over and over for staying strong and being an anchor during all of this, it gave you a warm feeling in your heart that negated your lack of sorrow.

"Serious. Hot-headed. Iron willed. These are some of the words I have heard to describe Achilles. While this is true, he was also passionate, a born leader. Nothing was more important to him than his family. You. All of you. Most of you here owe him your lives..."

Smiling softly and nodding once in encouragement when he began to choke up, you exaggerated a deep breath and gestured for him to do the same when he continued to hold your gaze; swallowing hard to push his tears away and stop his voice from cracking.

"He did everything in his power to protect the ones he loved, even neglecting his own health in his duties to continue the fight for what he believed in. We must honour his memory by being as strong as he was, by not giving in, even when we think the light has dimmed. I would like for you all to stand."

Getting up and taking a quick look behind you to see if Jacob needed any help; giving him a quick thumbs up when you saw he had managed it by himself, you flicked out your hidden blade in unison with everyone else and held it over your heart, your eyes refusing to move from the coffin.

"Achilles. Mentor. Father. You will be missed, and never forgotten. Your struggle is now over, and we will do everything to ensure that your legacy continues. Requiescat in pace."

 _"Requiescat in pace,"_ everyone echoed, following Connors lead and bowing as the casket was lowered into the ground.

Retracting your blade and rummaging through your purse for a tissue, you handed it out to Connor when he came back over, dabbing his face when he refused to take it.

"You did great sweetie. Let's get these tears cleaned up yeah? You've got a reputation to protect, and there's a couple of cute girls at the back who haven't taken their eyes off you yet."

Biting back a grin when he scoffed and rolled his eyes, you let out a soft sigh when he pulled you in his arms, squeezing you tightly as he rest his chin on your head.

"You need to stop spending time with my grandfather and Jacob. They are beginning to rub off on you."

"Made you smile though didn't it?" You chuckled when you could feel him smirking against your hair.

Retaking your seat when he finally let you go and sat back down, you managed to shoo a few people away when they came over; as he had already said that he didn't want to be barraged by condolences, content to just sit there for now until everyone had said their goodbyes, and you could leave for the wake.

"I know that face. What are you thinking about?"

Snapping out from your staring into space and clearing your throat when you noticed he was looking at you out of the corner of his eye, you leant back in your chair and groaned, picking one of the million things running about in your mind to give to him as an answer.

"I was just thinking... About taking a sabbatical. Get away from all of this."

"For, how long?"

"I'm not sure. A year? Forever? Don't you ever get to the point where it all becomes too much?"

Lowering your gaze when he took your hand and hummed gently, you wished that you hadn't said anything now as he shook his head and pulled you up to standing; Eddie yelling out it was time for a drink, tilting your chin up so he could look you in the eye.

"You know there is no escaping this life (name). It will always follow you, wherever you go. There is only one way you leave it."

 _Yeah, in a pine box..._ you thought, wincing at your brain for conjuring up such an inappropriate comment.

"I know. Do you, mind if I stay for a bit? I'll catch up soon."

Connor squeezed your shoulder gently as you sat back down and stared at your lap, hoping that you would be able to get just a few minutes to yourself to think, without having the constant feeling of being watched.

"Of course. I will make sure you are not disturbed," He mumbled as you looked up and thanked him with your expression. "It wasn't your fault. I do hope you know that."

You let out a deep breath as he slowly walked away and started encouraging everyone to head back to the Homestead, leaving you with no company but your own after a few minutes.

"Achilles... I am sorry for all of this," you whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Your last thought was of being betrayed, and nobody deserves that. I wish... I wish I could take it all back, I really do."

Sitting there for minutes, or hours; you had no idea which as you formulated a plan in your head, running through each detail over and over as there was no room for a single error if this was going to work. Glancing up as a roll of thunder followed by a flash of lightning tore through the sky, the corner of your lips curved when as soon as the clouds decided to open a shadow loomed over you, and a strong arm curled around your front, holding you tightly.

"You shouldn't have come, what if someone sees you?"

"There's no one here apart from you, love. I waited till everyone was gone, even the groundsmen."

Grinning as Shay pulled you up to standing, you spun around and buried your head in his chest as he passed the umbrella to his other hand so he could hold you better, littering small kisses over your head with a tired breath.

"I know you did, heard you coming a mile away. Still risky though."

"Ah, would have taken on the whole Brotherhood to make sure you were alright lass. Why are you still out here?"

Chuckling as you believed wholeheartedly that he would do something like that, you stepped back and frowned when you saw that he looked beyond exhausted, giving him a quick peck on his cheek before fumbling in your pocket, pulling out a memory stick containing some files you had stumbled across during your probing last night.

"I was waiting for you actually. Figured, well more like hoped you would show up. Could you give this to Christopher for me? I think I might've found a way out of this predicament I've got myself in."

Shay stared at the USB for a moment before slipping it into his coat pocket with a nod, gesturing for you to take his arm so you could walk back up to the car park and get out of the storm that was getting worse with every passing second.

"C'mon, I'll give ya a lift back, well as close as I can get ya anyway. What's on the stick?"

Sliding in the back seat of the town car when he held the door open for you, you smirked at the driver; who you recognised as the same one from the night of the party when he gave you a wink in the mirror, kicking off your shoes and curling up next to Shay when he got in the other side and draped his arm over your shoulders.

"The assassins are looking for a traitor? Well, we're gonna give them one. Hope you don't need to brush up on your Russian."

Staring out the window when a familiar heartbeat that had been plaguing you since you had been left 'alone' got faster as the car pulled off, you turned your attention back to Shay and smiled, as the first part of your plan was now set in motion.


	34. Chapter 34

Jumping up off your sofa and peeking through the spyhole in your door when three heavy bangs came from next door, you gingerly poked your head out into the hallway, and coughed loudly to get the delivery boys attention.

"They're on holiday. I'll sign for it."

Gist had sent the package with excellent timing after you had told him that the old couple next to you had gone away; letting him send you something without it getting trailed back to you. Signing for the expected parcel quickly and slamming the door shut in the poor delivery boys face, you ripped open the cardboard packet, and tipped its contents out on your counter eagerly.

Carefully picking up the disk; dismissing the thick bind of papers for the moment, you put it in your laptop and grabbed your headphones, drumming your fingers impatiently while you waited for it to load up. A _whole_ month you had been waiting for this. Weeks of sneaking around, late nights and chasing numerous dead ends, but hopefully Gist had helped you find the proof you needed. Picking up the translation transcripts that Shay had done for you when several male Russian voices blared in your ear, you flicked through them quickly, almost dropping them when the person you were looking for appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Daniel. My my, you have been a naughty boy," You chuckled with a wry grin. "Sorry to throw you under the bus like this, but it's either you or me."

You knew there was something, _off_ , about Daniel Cross as soon as you had met him in Russia on your last assignment. He had seemed, cagey, and your _spidey sense_ was going mental every time he visited the new bureau, plus there were the little telltale signs that you used to do when you first started working with the Templars. Dismissing his withdrawal jitters as he was going through rehab for his drug problem, he always had a habit of disappearing whenever Shaun had made a new breakthrough in the security programmes, or had managed to locate a consignment that would stop the Templars from funding their work. Then there was the barrage of questions that seemed innocent at the time; such as when more people were coming over or how well you got on with the Russian assassins, but thinking about it afterwards, there was no reason for it, unless he was up to something. If you hadn't have been doing the same thing, you would never have noticed, but unfortunately for Mr Cross, his luck was about to run out.

Having the perfect scapegoat within your grasp; plus a plan B under your belt in case this didn't work, a wicked grin crept up your face as you came across the translation of what he had just said to a man who was hiding exceptionally well in the shadows.

**"Bratstvo ne znayet. Now take me to Vidic."**

_Jackpot._

Reaching over and grabbing your phone, you keyed in Gists voicemail number that you had committed to memory before your old phone had been taken off you, and hummed softly to yourself while you waited for it to kick in, clearing your throat when it beeped so you didn't sound as excited as you felt at the moment.

"You wonderful men. Thank you ever so much, it's exactly what I wanted. Hopefully, I'll see you soon."

Downloading the video off of the disk and sending it to Altaïr through a dummy (and fingers crossed) untraceable email address, all that you could do now, was wait.

 

 

In attempts to keep yourself occupied for however long it would take, you had given your apartment a much needed clean; as you could have made a sculpture out of all the dust that had accumulated, and now had your music turned up full blast while you attempted to catch up on your mountain of overdue paperwork. You were so engrossed in writing up all of the mundane tasks that you had done over the past few weeks, that you didn't notice that your phone was ringing until it nearly vibrated off the table.

Catching it in the nick of time and grabbing the remote so you could turn the music down, you answered the call as nonchalantly as you could when you saw that it was Desmond ringing you.

"Hey, what's up? If you're calling to send me out on another bodyguard errand, forget it."

_"(Name)! You're not gonna believe it! I can't believe it! I dunno how, or what happened, but, but, it's great!"_

"Woah Woah, Desmond, calm down. What's great? You finally beat Altaïr in a fight or something?" You snickered, knowing full well what he was babbling on about, but decided to entertain him anyway.

_"No, it's better than that! You're in the clear! You all are! They found the traitor!"_

Sitting back with a beaming smile as he carried on enthusing about how brilliant this news was, you looked at your phone when it beeped in your ear in between Desmond's ramblings, just resisting the urge to burst out laughing when it was a message from Jacob saying he was, 'Freeeeeeeeeeee!!!!'

_"(Name), (name), you still there? Aren't you happy?"_

"Course I am! Was just waiting for you to take a breath. So who betrayed us then?"

 _"Oh. Sorry."_ he chuckled sheepishly. _"Dunno who it is, the boss wouldn't tell me. He said he's gonna have to investigate into it more, but you're definitely out of the weeds."_

"Thank god for that. Thanks for letting me know, we still on for the gym Sunday?"

_"Course, wouldn't miss the opportunity to get my revenge! See you then."_

Taking a massive sigh of relief as you hung up and dropped your phone back on the table, you clambered up when your stomach started growling and plodded over to the kitchen, rummaging through your cupboards before settling on a share size bag of chips to munch on while you worked. No sooner had you sat back down your phone buzzed with another message, but figuring it was Jacob yet again you just ignored it, determined to get caught up on your work once and for all.

"Right, where was I... Time log...Time log..." You grumbled to yourself, trying to remember the exact millisecond you had threatened William Johnson's secretary in Starbucks.

Clicking your tongue against the roof of your mouth when your phone went off yet again, you snatched it up with every intention of replying with a lengthy abusive message but instead scrunched up your brow when the texts were from an unknown number. That was soon replaced with a sly smile though when the first message said 'Coffee?' looking around furiously when the second said 'Put down the Doritos and let me in X.'

You about jumped out of your skin when a soft rapping suddenly came from your window, more than slightly bewildered when you opened it and let Shay climb in from the fire escape, all dressed up and carrying a couple of expensive looking bags.

"What you got there Romeo? You didn't need to climb all the way up here, I'm off the hook." You grinned as he planted a kiss on your cheek and scanned your apartment.

"Aye, I know that, the chatters gone crazy. Your _entourage_ are still downstairs, so didn't wanna raise any suspicion just yet. Nice, place you've got here."

Rolling your eyes when you could tell he was being sarcastic, you peeked into one of the bags when he dropped them on the table; pushing them towards you and gesturing for you to take them, but you couldn't see anything apart from tissue paper.

"They're for you love. Go an get changed; we're going out."

"Where?"

Holding the bags to your chest when he picked them back up and handed them to you, then gently guided you to what he assumed was your bedroom, you raised your eyebrow when he just chuckled and ushered you inside, pulling the door to with an alluring wink.

 

Slightly stunned as you finished doing up your shoes and smoothed out your dress, you adjusted your pathetic excuse for a mirror so you could see most of yourself, and deemed you looked pretty damned good considering you had only spent fifteen minutes getting ready. The dress fit you perfectly, a simple black thing with spaghetti straps and came down to your ankle on one side, with a lace panel running down the other that stopped just above your knee; which meant you had to forego knickers to wear it. _Cheeky bugger_ , you sniggered to yourself as you reemerged from your room.

Barely suppressing your smirk when Shay gave out a low whistle as you struck a pose for him, you stuffed your phone and keys into your bag that you had fished out before taking his hand and clambering back out of the fire escape.

"You going to tell me where we're going yet?" You asked again as you walked through the back streets behind your apartment.

"Always need to know don't ya? C'mon, in ya get."

Your eyes widened when he opened the door to an Audi r8 that was parked a couple of streets away, recognising it immediately from the garage at Templar headquarters as you slid into the front seat.

"Take it you've made up with Haytham then?"

"Yeah. We've had our falling outs before. Nothing as bad as this time mind, but life's too short to hold a grudge like that. Was gonna borrow the Rolls, thought that might've drawn a bit too much attention though."

Thinking he made a good choice as you _definitely_ didn't want to be in that particular car again, you let out a little chuckle and spent the short drive in silence, trying to figure out where the hell you were going by the route he took. You had completely given up by the time he'd parked down some dank alleyway and took your hand to lead you through a side door, taking you through a _very_ busy, and delicious smelling kitchen. A couple of the chefs looked up as you went past, but none seemed fazed in the slightest that you were there; making you slightly on edge that they would be used to people coming in through the back.

Your mouth formed a small 'o when you were finally taken to a small private room upstairs, and you could see out of the patio doors onto the balcony, now knowing that you were in the L'Espalier restaurant right next to Shays hotel.

"What's the occasion?" You asked, barely above a whisper as you took your seat at the candlelit table for two when the waiter pulled the chair out for you.

"Realised that we've never actually been on a date, figured today would be the perfect time to change that." He said simply, but by the look on his face, you could tell that there was something that he wasn't letting on.

"Hmm, I figured you for more of a bowling kind of guy."

Grinning when he just rolled his eyes and chuckled, you opened the menu and pouted when you couldn't read a word of it, promptly snapping it shut much to Shays apparent amusement.

"Ya don't need to worry lass, the owner here's a friend of mine, and it's Templar run. No eyes on us here."

It was only then you realised that you had been looking about and over your shoulder, making a mental note of possible exits and hiding places in the room, smiling sheepishly as you sat back and relaxed slightly.

"Sorry, force of habit."

Even though you had never been to a restaurant this fancy before you were aware of the etiquette, (letting Shay order for you thank god) and using the obscene amount of cutlery from the outside in and so forth, surprisingly enjoying being spoilt like this. Catching up and filling each other on everything that you had missed over the past few weeks after not being able to see each other; nearly spitting your wine across the table when Shay told you that Christopher had managed to electrocute himself mildly the other day, you eventually stopped giggling when your food turned up, which was nothing short of heaven on a plate.

Delicately crafted hors d'oeuvres, followed by a beautiful soufflé that was so light felt like you were eating clouds, delectable meats, vegetables and fruits, every bite so delicious that you wished you had room to eat it all again. You couldn't remember a time when you felt so, content if that was the right word for it. Talking and laughing until your ribs hurt, wined and dined like a queen, and tonight, you weren't an Assassin, nor a Templar spy, just an ordinary girl out on a date with her partner.

Your initial instincts that there was more than one reason for going out tonight were confirmed when the waiter poured two glasses of champagne before retreating to the shadows, narrowing your eyes playfully when Shay took your hand and led you out to the balcony.

"When are we gonna get the chance to do something like this again? Might as well make the most of it, love."

"True. Tonight has been amazing. Thank you," you breathed, placing your glass down on the small table and leaning on the rail as you took in the view.

You never realised Boston could be so serene. Usually, you were too busy running around to notice things like this, and from up here it almost seemed picturesque, not on the verge of becoming a battleground. You closed your eyes as Shay wrapped his arm around your waist and nuzzled into your neck, softly sighing when he placed a soft kiss just below your ear and squeezed you gently.

"(Name)?"

"Hmm?"

Flickering your eyes open when you felt his other arm curl around your front, your heart jumped when you saw a thin silver chain woven around his fingers, a beautiful rectangular pendant dropping in front of you when he opened his palm.

"Happy birthday."

 **Now** you knew why he had gone to so much trouble tonight, you hadn't even noticed the date even though you had spent most of the day writing it down. Swallowing hard as you timidly took the pendant in your fingers, you brushed your thumb over the intricate lines on the front, turning it over to reveal an engraved phrase that was in a different language on the back. Your stomach was doing somersaults as he carefully fastened it around your neck and spun you around so he could admire you wearing it, before cupping your face with both hands and kissing you deeply.

"What does it say?" You whispered when he pulled back slightly, your face breaking into a broad smile that a Cheshire cat would have been jealous of.

"That side is Ogham, the first written language in Ireland. This side..." He paused for a moment as he turned the necklace over and ran the tip of his finger over the words. "Is Gaelic. It means..."

You both let out an exasperated groan when he was cut off by your phone ringing loudly from your bag, mentally chiding yourself over and over for not putting it on silent while you were out tonight. Just when you thought whoever was calling had finally rung off, it started up again immediately afterwards, Shays phone joining in a split second later from his jacket pocket.

"Both of us?! We better see who it is love."

Cursing under your breath as you fished your mobile out of your bag, your brow furrowed when you saw it was Altaïr calling, only just resisting the urge not to snap at him when you finally answered. Cocking your head when Shay mouthed that it was Haytham calling him and he responded to his phone, you both just stared at each other wide-eyed as you each listened to the frantic babblings, blurting out 'On my way' and hanging up at the same time.

"The warehouse?!"

"Aye. This isn't good. You still have some stuff at the hotel, are you sure you're up for this?"

Giving him a determined nod and grabbing your bag, you took a deep breath before almost sprinting down the stairs and towards the Mandarin; thankful that it was only about a minute away, hoping that Altaïr was exaggerating and that you weren't about to join in a full-blown war.


	35. Chapter 35

"Why is Haytham attacking the docks?! All of those people, I don't understand..."

You trailed off as you slid an extra magazine into your belt, halting in your rushing about when you saw your black coat **and** white hoodie was draped over the sofa. Standing there and staring at them as you debated which of them to put on, you glanced over your shoulder when you could pretty much feel Shays eyes on your back, knowing that he was thinking the same thing as you.

"I don't know love. He wasn't exactly specific when he called, but surely there must've been a good reason?"

Pulling on your hoodie, and then your coat over the top until you could figure out what the hell was going on, you turned around with a forced smile when Shay lay his hand on your shoulder, looking like he was going through enough turmoil for the both of you.

"No matter what ya choose, I'll always be here. I know you'll do what's right."

Squeezing tightly when he took your hands and sighed, you looked down when you realised his eyes were fixed on your neck; having almost forgotten the necklace he had given you less than half an hour ago.

"Are you going to tell me what it says then?"

"When we get back," he chuckled when you pouted, his demeanour quickly going sombre as you both pulled your hoods up.

"Let's go."

 

 

Perching on the edge of the roof a few blocks away from the docks, you couldn't believe your eyes when you saw that Altair hadn't overestimated in the slightest. This, was a full-on conflict, kill or be killed. You always knew that something was coming, but never in a million years had you expected it to be this bad. Your gaze eventually landed on the far side; to where a group of labourers that were huddled behind a large stack of crates, trying to hide away from all of the gunfire going on. You nudged Shay in the arm to get his attention, pointing over towards the desperate people.

"We need to get them away from this. Fast. That's the only thing that matters, and I'm going to take out anyone who gets in my way."

Getting up to standing when Shay grabbed your wrist and pulled you up, you swallowed hard when he nodded and rested his head on yours briefly before spreading his arms and leaping off of the rooftop, following him down a second later. Splitting up and ducking behind a forklift truck after you had landed, you poked your head around the side to get a better insight to who were between you and your goal, bracing yourself to run as fast as your legs would carry you. Thankfully, the three Assassins and the five Templars near you were so busy trying to kill each other, that none of them spotted you sneaking behind the containers and scurrying down to the other side, allowing you to get just over halfway to the workers.

You knew you had to pick up the pace when you saw that a couple of them had managed to arm themselves with tools that were laying about, looking about quickly for something to use as a distraction before they did anything stupid. Spotting a crane that was abandoned that had a cargo crate hoisted in the air, you drew out your gun and aimed at the weak spot just above the hook where the cable connected, squeezing off several rounds in hoping it was enough to make it fall. Several seconds passed with nothing happening, but all of a sudden a metallic creaking sound came from it, followed by a snapping, the crate plummeting to the ground below in between the battling groups.

Now that they had scattered your way was almost clear, but you paused for a second when you saw what was in the case, now that it was split open and its contents were strewn across the floor, baffled slightly as it was all some kind of lab equipment. Not having the opportunity to mull on it, you crept up behind the remaining Templar that was about to find the civilians and smacked him around the head with the butt of your gun, pushing his unconscious body to the side. You caught the arm of the eldest worker when he swung out at you in a knee-jerk reaction, twisting his hand back, so he dropped his hammer before he lashed out again.

"Easy, I'm here to help! Follow me. I'll get you out of this."

Making sure they were all on your heels; you kept your gun drawn as you led them down to the waterfront, and down to a private speedboat that was moored up on the pier.

"Any of you know how to hotwire one of these things?!"

"I do."

Nodding to the apparent Greasemonkey and ushering them all on the boat, you spun around quickly when a bullet whizzed over your head; shooting the man that was running towards you in the kneecap, making him drop to the ground before rolling into the water. Unhooking the rope when the engine roared into life, you gave them a quick nod when they shouted out several thank yous as they sped off into the harbour, before climbing up the side of the nearest warehouse to gain a vantage point again.

From up here, you could see most of your colleagues trying to push back the Templars, and even though they were outnumbered, they were still holding their ground. Connor and Desmond had secured the first warehouse closest to the waterfront, a small group of trainees led by Altair were pushing forward down the pier, and even Eddie was here, securing some cargo they had managed to salvage onto a truck. Not spotting any more civilians close by, your gaze settled on the far end of the docks; your eyes narrowing when even though you couldn't see clearly from this far away, you knew without a doubt that it was Haytham down there, surrounded by a group of bodyguards next to his car.

Not surprised that he wanted to be at the forefront of all of this to reap the fruits of his labour, you traced the quickest and most discreet path you could to him, hoping you could find a way to stop this madness. Sliding down from the rooftop, you navigated your way to in between the third and fourth warehouse with little effort, but that was where your fortune ended. To your left was four patrolling Templars with their backs to you; no doubt looking for stragglers in this area, but on your right, was none other than Ezio, slinking down towards your position. 

_Damn, damn, fuck!_ This was the last thing you needed right now. You knew that there was no chance he hadn't seen you, so you did the only thing you could do, which was pull your hood down and reveal yourself to him before he mistook you for the enemy. 

Leaning forward ever so slightly, you quickly caught his attention by flicking out your hidden blade and gesturing that you would take out the two guards on the left, joining in his stride when he caught up to you. Moving as he did; mirroring his movements precisely, you lept up and wrapped your arm around the head of the first and twisted fiercely, snapping his neck before thrusting your blade into the back of the other, killing the group without them even knowing you were there.

"Would you care to tell me why you are dressed like that (name)?"

"Hide in plain sight, isn't that our motto?" You shrugged as you searched the bodies for extra ammo. "Do you know why they're attacking us?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that. There was no word of this?"

Shaking your head vigorously as you slung the rifle that you had looted over your shoulder, you stood there waiting for a moment as he got _that_ look on his face, which meant he was about to give you an order.

"You want me to find out, don't you?"

"Yes. But be careful. Luckily for you, I hesitated for a moment before attacking, but you will not be as fortunate with the others. Your, aura has changed cara."

Looking at him quizzically as he eyed you up in scrutiny, your eyebrows suddenly shot up when you realised what he was getting at, wondering if anyone else had picked up on what he was seeing.

"How's it changed? I'm still me I assure you." 

"You no longer emanate blue when I use my gift. More, purple perhaps? But there is no time to discuss this now. Go, and find out what Kenway is after. And remember, you are entirely on your own."

"Gee, thanks boss," you grumbled under your breath, knowing that this wasn't going to be as hard as you were making it out to be.

Watching him run over to back up a few cadets; who really shouldn't be here as you could see they were nowhere near trained enough for something of this magnitude, you tugged your hood up when he was out of sight, sticking to the shadows this time as you continued down the docks. As soon as you were close enough to Kenway, you stepped out of your hiding spot as bold as brass and walked directly towards him with determination, completely ignoring his protection detail who all now had their weapons trained on you, yelling at you to stay back.

"Haytham," you growled when he merely waved his arm as he recognised you instantly, ordering his men to stand down. "What the hell are you doing?! Why??"

"It was necessary, my dear. The assassins must not be allowed to retrieve this cargo."

"Don't you 'dear' me! Cargo? That's it?! You're killing all of these people, innocent people, for cargo??"

Smacking his hand away when he went to grab your shoulder, you clenched your teeth and flicked out your hidden blade when the two men nearest to you raised their guns again, your eyes boring into Haythams in demanding an answer.

"If you two disobey me again, I will let her have free reign to do whatever she wishes. And believe me when I say, you will not die quickly."

Smirking when they both cautiously took a step back, you let Haytham lead you to the open doorway of the warehouse just behind you, where he pushed open the tops of two large crates, giving a chance to see what was inside. Your eyes widened slightly when you saw that the first one contained various pieces of electrical equipment; sensors and what looked like a radar, the other, vast quantities of liquid substances with biohazard logos stamped all over them.

"You stepped into our world because our beliefs are aligned (name). With this, the assassins are creating a poisonous gas, chemical and biological weapons. Can you imagine what would happen if they used it in the city? No one here is innocent of this, they all knew what they were doing, and making. And these. Do you remember the earthquake in Lisbon several years ago?"

Of course you remembered it, every single channel covered the devastation. Level 8.5 on the Richter scale, the damage was catastrophic. Thousands of people died, and the city still mostly lies in ruin to this day. But what did that have to do with this?!

"What if I told you that your mentors caused that quake. Or rather, Shay did, under their instructions?"

"What?? Lies! They would never do something so...so... They wouldn't. They couldn't!" You screamed, stepping back and shaking your head.

"He's telling the truth lass. Achilles sent me, to search for one of them artefacts they keep going on about. I didn't know what it was. He sent me to a temple below the catacombs, but when I got there... There are things in this world that shouldn't be messed with."

Turning about when Shay rested his hand on your back, you knew instantly he was wasn't lying, just by the look on his face; deep remorse and hurt at creating such chaos.

"This all sounds like some dodgy sci-fi flick. That's why you left?"

Lowering your head when he softly nodded, you stared at the ground as you tried to process this, wondering if any of your friends knew about it, or they were just blindly following orders as you had done many years ago.

"Why hasn't this been mentioned until now?" You whispered.

"Would you have believed this if either of us had said something to you?"

No, you wouldn't. Torturing civilians was one thing, but levelling entire cities and making biological weapons? This was beyond despicable, even for them. Before you could even reply, a horde of assassins had pushed their way through the perimeter and was advancing on your position, determined to get the cargo that Kenway had procured.

"I-I won't let them."

Charging at the group that was now starting to spread out without a second thought, you pulled out a throwing knife and hurled it at the one who had taken the higher ground; embedding it deeply into his shoulder so he was unable to use his rifle anymore, before leaping onto the apparent head of the group and punching him several times in the face, until he was unconscious. Thankfully Shay had run over and joined your side when you got back up to your feet, as the group that had hesitated for a moment after you incapacitated their leader was now forming a semi-circle in front of you; thirteen in total, moving towards you slowly, blades drawn.

"Try not to kill them, please?"

"I don't think they're of the same mindset as you love." He growled, drawing his swords as he pressed his back up against yours.

You took a deep and shuddering breath in defeat as Haytham had also retreated away with the crates; so no back up was going to come from him, and you knew you were out of options, so you quickly pulled out your gun and shot your remaining three rounds in quick succession at the strongest looking men, all headshots so that they didn't suffer. As you didn't have a chance to reload you tossed your pistol to the ground and flicked out your hidden blade, taunting the rest of them to move closer by waggling your finger in a come hither motion. 

The first two came at you and Shay quickly, both attacking with rage which left them blindly lashing out and open for your strikes; slapping his hand out of the way and driving your arm up in an uppercut motion, your blade sinking into his chin. You stared into his lifeless eyes for a moment before pushing him away, barely getting clear before you were charged at and sent tumbling to the ground, wheezing from the sudden impact.

"(Name)! Here!"

Catching the short sword Shay had thrown to you; you raised it just in time to block the assassin that had tackled you, kicking his knees so that he faceplanted the ground and let you get back up. Clangs of metal upon metal rang through the air as you defended yourself against four of them, knowing their techniques but being more practised than them making it that much easier. Predictability allowed you to take out one of them within seconds; ducking under his arm and swinging around, impaling him straight in the heart with the sword.

You raised your arms and caught the blades on your own weapons when the next two came at you, pulling hard so they stumbled forward and their heads knocked together, dazing them before spinning around on the spot with your arm extended and slicing through their throats, strangled warbles coming from them as they bled out around your feet. The last was screaming at you as he barraged you with a flurry of punches and kicks; one connecting straight in your gut that knocked the wind out of you for a moment, but that didn't stop you from throwing yourself into a forward roll and lunging up as you came out of it, the tip of your sword finding a soft spot between his ribs and running straight through until it went out of his back, plunging your hidden blade into his head just behind his ear a split second later.

Pulling your hood down after you retracted your weapons and took a moment to catch your breath, you sighed and shook your head as you gazed at all thirteen bodies strewn over the ground; crimson pools coagulating around them, really wishing that it hadn't come to this. 

"Are you okay lass?"

Managing a soft nod when he moved in front of you and cupped your cheek gently; brushing his thumb over your lips, your eyes widened, and you grabbed his arms, pushing him furiously to your left when you heard an unmistakable heartbeat coming from the top of the containers on the far side.

But you were too late. 

You dropped down when Shay collapsed to the ground with a pained bellow, as a slim arrow pierced his shoulder, reaching over and yanking it out with a hiss before flinging it to the floor. He went to tug your hood up when you both knew exactly who that arrow had come from, alarm creasing his features when you stopped him and helped get him up to standing.

"It's too late for that now. Go, I'll catch you up."

"Lass, if you think for one second I'm gonna..."

"I said go!" You implored, kissing him firmly before pushing him in the direction that Haytham had scurried off to when the heartbeat was getting louder.

Turning around to see Connor running across the platform; crossbow raised and aimed straight at your head, he skidded to a halt and lowered it when he got close enough to see who you were, shock mingled in with anguish washing over him as he just stared at you.

"Connor, I can expl-"

You stopped when he gritted his teeth and raised his bow once again, refusing to move as he inched closer, a deep growl rumbling in his throat.

"I did not want to believe it... When I saw you, after the funeral, I thought maybe I was mistaken..."

"We've been deceived. There's chemicals in these crates, the masters are making weapons!"

He paused for a moment as his eyes flickered around to all of the containers about that were now open and empty, every part of him tensing up when his gaze settled on the dozen dead assassin bodies crumpled around your feet.

"Liar! Traitor!!"

You managed to duck out of the way just in time when he took a shot at you, throwing his crossbow to the ground and pulling out his Tomahawk as he ran towards you, swinging around furiously as you bobbed and weaved out of his onslaught.

"I'm... Not lying! I-I can... Prove..." You stammered as you sidestepped around him and pushed him forward, so you didn't get his weapon buried in your back.

"You have betrayed... The Brotherhood. Betrayed...Me!"

Narrowly missing his relentless flailing once again, you knew you had to figure a way out of this soon as you couldn't keep this up forever, and you were **NOT** going to fight back, regardless of what would happen to you. Not seeing anything about, or even a way to escape; as it was blatantly obvious that he wasn't going to listen to anything you had to say, you flicked out your blade as he rushed towards you again, sliding it through the hole in the head and yanking as hard as you could, in attempts to pull it out of his grasp.

But of course, he didn't budge, and now you were stuck as he twisted his arm so your wrist was bent back, and before you could even comprehend what happened you were jerked towards him, his entire body going rigid as you pressed up against his chest. You could feel him trembling against you as you caught his gaze, his eyes welling up as you wondered why he had stopped attacking you. Swallowing hard as you looked down to in between you and saw that his palm was resting against your stomach, you let out a soft cry when he flinched slightly, and a shooting pain ran through your core, followed by his fingers staining in dark red blood.

Shakily raising your hand to his cheek as a tear rolled down it, you brushed it away with your thumb while turning your arm so you were now free of his weapon, retracting your blade so you could clasp his hand that was still on you firmly.

"It's okay..." You whispered, wincing as you slowly pulled his hand away from you.

Collapsing to your knees when now you knew you had been impaled it _fucking hurt_ , pressing your arm as firmly over your chest as you could to try and slow the bleeding, as you watched a mortified Connor gradually back away. Slumping down onto your side when you started to feel woozy, you struggled to focus when you heard several bullets whizzing through the air, and Connor turned on his heel to run as fast as he could towards the waterfront.

"(Name)!!" 

Shivering from the cold as you were carefully turned on your back and your head was laid on something soft, you tried to move but as much as you attempted you couldn't, every part of you feeling like it was filled with lead.

"(Name), c'mon love, open your eyes. Please!" 

_Ow, ow, fucking ow!_ Was all you could think at this moment in time, not even Shays hand replacing yours around you and his nudging your cheek with his other distracted you enough from the agony that was surging through you.

"Ya wanna know what the necklace says? You've gotta open your eyes."

"That's...blackmail..." You gasped, opening your left eye a slither and cringing when even that little gesture made everything feel a hundred times worse.

Carried, or floating, you didn't know which was happening to you as he let out a deep sigh, and the swimming of your head became more than you could take, vaguely hearing someone else's voice behind you before everything went black.


	36. Chapter 36

_"Liar! Traitor!"_

**"Your, aura has changed cara..."**

_"You have betrayed... The Brotherhood. Betrayed...Me!"_

**"Remember, you are entirely on your own."**

The voices were screaming around in your head, and as much as you tried to reply to them, your own words were drowned out by the bombardments of your deceit, unheard by unwilling ears. They were gradually replaced by the sound of a gentle, rhythmic beeping that echoed in your mind, and a dull ache growing just underneath your ribs.

It took a moment for your blurry vision to clear as your eyes fluttered open, blinking rapidly so you could see where you were. You went to touch your stomach to find out what was causing the throbbing, but you stopped when you saw that a drip was in the back of your hand, your gaze following it up to a saline bag and heart monitor set up beside you.

Trying to swallow when it felt like your throat was lined with sandpaper, you stayed unmoving as you took in the rest of your surroundings, now realising that you were back on the Morrigan. Shay was fast asleep next to you on top of the covers, and the bright sunshine was peeking through the curtains, so you figured you'd been out for at least a day. As soon as you attempted to shuffle yourself up to sitting, Shay stirred and lay his hand on your shoulder, gently pushing you back down, so you were flat on your back again.

"Don't get up lass, you'll pull your stitches. Are ya in any pain?"

Actually, it didn't hurt. Just a mild cramp that was similar to being absolutely starving. Shaking your head in reply as when you attempted to talk nothing but a scratchy squeak came out, you gratefully took the glass of water he grabbed for you off the bedside table, curling your head forward enough, so you didn't spill it and drank its entire contents in a few quick swallows.

"Thanks, I needed that. How bad was it?" you croaked, now sounding more like you had a sore throat than anything else.

"You were bloody lucky. Nicked your liver and you got an infection, but that's cleared up now, and the internal stuff should heal on its own. Ya not remember the doc tellin' you this?"

Wracking your brain for even a glimmer of something since the warehouse, your brow furrowed what you couldn't come up with a single thing, other than how much it felt like a red hot poker was embedded in your stomach.

"Nope, not a thing since I was skewered. How long have I been out for?"

"Ten days. Haytham rushed ya to the hospital under a different name, and as soon as you were stable enough to be moved, he brought ya here. You've been delirious with fever till now."

Groaning and rubbing your face with your hand that didn't have a needle stuck in it, a million things ran through your mind, but your tired brain wouldn't let you form any decent questions.

"Delirious hey? Code word for I was talking a load of crap."

You mustered up a smile as Shay smirked and propped himself up on his elbow, pulling the blanket up over you where you had knocked it down and tucked you back in.

"Well, ya might need to apologise to Kenway, you threatened to chop off his bits for runnin' off at the warehouse."

"Sounds like I was very clear headed..." You chuckled, grimacing when your movement pulled at your wound.

"I said that too, was kinda funny but the boss didn't think so. Then ya were mumbling _sorry_ over and over, and was callin' for Connor."

Closing your eyes and sighing when you buried the side of your face in the pillow; as the look of hurt on Connors' face was all you could see behind your lids, you wondered if time travel had been invented yet. Out of everything in your life, hurting your best friend like this was top of the list of the most terrible things you could have done, even if it was for what you thought were the right reasons. If you could only talk to him...

"Oh, an one other thing. You're engaged now too."

Your eyes snapped open, and you slowly turned your head to see him biting back a grin, opening and closing your mouth several times to say something, but you didn't know what you could reply to that.

"To the doc who gave ya morphine. Even though he said he'd already got a wife an kids, you wouldn't take no for an answer."

Slapping him around the arm when he couldn't hold back his laughter anymore, you pushed down the covers and pulled up the t-shirt you were wearing so you could see the extent of the damage, surprised that you only had four stitches just below your ribcage and, you'd probably only end up with a small scar.

"You're an ass, you know that? I guess everyone knows what I did then..."

The look on his face told you everything you needed to know, so that left you with your only other option. The dreaded Plan B.

"The rest of them made it down the yard as we were carrying you away, they all saw ya. An from what I can tell, there's a bounty on your head. Two hundred thousand."

"That's it?! Thought I'd be worth at least half a mil."

Smirking when he shook his head and sighed, you delicately rubbed your stomach as the ache began to get worse, hoping that it _was_ just because you were hungry, and not anything more serious.

"All joking aside lass, we've gotta figure out what to do. We're down near the Bahamas at the moment so they shouldn't find us here, but we can't hide from them forever. They're still chasin' a ghost with me, but everyone's after you."

Your face went sombre, and you stared blankly at the ceiling as you outlined your scheme in your head, but in the state you were in at the moment, none of it was feasible. Biting your lip, so you didn't blurt out what you had planned; not wanting Shay to know as he would never go along with it, your eyebrow creased at the thought of asking a certain someone for a favour, but you'd figure a way around that. You knew you should have listened to your gut and gotten out of this sooner. Instead of running around trying to change all the wrongdoings in the world, you should have defended those you hold dear first.

"Your head'll explode if ya keep thinking that hard," he chuckled.

"Hmm. Maybe hiding out in the Bahamas isn't such a bad idea, could do with a vacation that doesn't involve nearly getting blown up or stopping a punch up! You'll protect me till I'm better, won't you?"

"Always."

A soft smile crept up your face when he brushed his fingertip down the side of your face and over your collarbone, your eyebrows raising as it skimmed over the thin chain that was still around your neck before flipping the pendant over and, nudging it as if it were askew.

"Is tú mo ghrá. You are my love," he whispered, leaning over to kiss your cheek. "I love you (name)."

Your eyes flickered to the left when the monitor suddenly started beeping faster, the slight curl of your lips widening into a full-blown grin as he slid his arm under your neck and gently turned you so he could pull you in closer, his mouth millimetres away from you as his expression matched yours.

"I-I love you too."

Closing the remaining gap and kissing him deeply, you were becoming all well aware of the beginnings of a burning lump in your throat, and your eyes were stinging, something you hadn't experienced in quite a while. By the time you pulled away your face was wet, much to yours, and his surprise as he used the back of his hand to wipe the drops away.

"I thought ya couldn't cry?"

"I can't. Well, couldn't," you hiccoughed, snuggling down into his shoulder with a contented sigh.

"I hope that's not a bad thing?"

Shaking your head and mumbling 'definitely not' as your face was buried in his chest, you trembled with a stifled yawn as even though you'd spent the best part of ten days in bed, you were still sleepy, quickly dozing off deliriously happy in his arms.

 

 

Five days later, and you were now becoming restless. You had recovered remarkably quickly; only feeling the odd twinge now and again if you overexerted yourself, but with the men watching you like a hawk, that was a rare occurrence. Now you were laid on the sofa in Shays room with your head in his lap, him with a laptop perched on the arm and looking on the dark web for any intel that you had been spotted, you with a tablet checking current exchange rates for gold and precious jewels, internally squealing when you saw that the price of gold was now sky high.

"Well, nothing so far lass, we're still safe for now. I told ya, you don't need to do that, I have plenty of money for us."

"No, you have Haythams money. There's a difference. No leashes, remember?" You grumbled, adding up the totals in your head.

"Anyone ever tell ya you can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes? How much ya got?"

Tilting your head up and flashing him a wicked grin, you danced your shoulders slightly as you finished up your calculations, almost gobsmacked at the amount that you had stashed away over the years.

"At today's rate... One point two million..." You whispered.

Dropping the tablet on the coffee table as he just stared at you wide-eyed in disbelief, you readied the answers to the barrage of questions you knew were coming, taking a deep breath so you could blurt them out all in one go.

"We'll need to go back to Boston, it's all hidden away in my apartment. I'll have to deal with Ned directly because there's no way I can pawn that amount in one go. Yes, I'll be safe there, yes, you're coming with me, and no I'm not going to change my mind, so there's zero point in arguing."

You giggled when his mouth promptly snapped shut as there was nothing he could say to all of that and, he playfully glared at you, resting his hand on your shoulder as you turned on your side so that you were facing him. 

"Fine. One condition though. The first sign of trouble and we're out of there. Deal?"

Nodding several times as he gave you a rather severe stare, you bit the inside of your lip when he inhaled sharply at your movement, as your nose just brushed repeatedly over his crotch. The corner of your eye creased when you did it again; on purpose this time, biting yourself harder to hold back your grin when he attempted to cover himself with his hand, but didn't exactly put a whole lot of effort into it. It had been nearly half a month since you had him inside you, and you were to put it bluntly, as horny as a dog on heat.

"A week ago you had a hole in ya gut, that's not gonna help it much is it?"

"I know you can be gentle, or you could let me be in control..." You purred, flipping onto your stomach and pushing yourself up on all fours so you could crawl over him and straddle his legs.

You placed your hands on his sides and kept them there while he smirked and slowly unbuttoned _his_ shirt that you were wearing, (having taken an extreme liking to stealing them as they were more comfortable) following his gaze down as he parted the fabric to examine your scar. Not even wavering when he barely grazed his thumb over the raised pink flesh, you leant towards him when he curled his other hand around your neck and stopped you a couple of inches away from his face, holding your gaze.

"If it starts to hurt..." He said hesitantly, slight doubt creasing in his expression.

Rolling your eyes with a kittenish sigh as you caught the hem of his top and pulled it up; throwing it behind you when you got it off, you lay your hands on his chest and almost headbutted him as you launched forward to kiss him long and hard, before he could come up with any more excuses. He was obviously as pent-up as you were as he wasted no time sliding his hands under your shirt, massaging his fingertips down your back and cupping your rear, squeezing and kneading as you writhed yourself against him.

Definitely not patient enough for taking your time, you put all of your weight on your legs and raised yourself up, dropping your hands to his stomach and tugging his trousers undone, smirking against his mouth when he lifted his hips so you could push his clothing down. You managed to get them as far as knees before you couldn't reach any further, giggling when his shaft sprung up hard against your crease, and you jiggled around at his frantic shuffling to kick them off the rest of the way.

"Pretty eager considering you were worried a few moments ago."

You were repaid for your snarky comment by being hoisted up and carried to the bed with an irresistible smouldering look, then manoeuvring you just right so his cock impaled you deeply as he sat down, then moved to lay with you still on top.

"You wanted to be in charge, off you go."

_Cheeky bastard..._

Grinding down and swirling your hips as you peeled off your shirt; so you were totally naked against him, you just withheld a snort of laughter when he threw his head back with a groan and grabbed your hips firmly, knowing you were going to be in trouble for that, but the look on his face was assuredly worth it. Not teasing anymore as the tingling ache inside you was demanding to be satisfied, you grabbed the headboard with one hand and wove the other into his hair at the side of his head, lowering your lips to his as you began rocking your hips back and forth.

His hands roamed all over your body as you picked up the pace, caressing every inch he could reach before fondling your breasts and plucking your nipples, the sound of your ass gently clapping against his thighs making the warm throbbing blossom throughout you. Pulling back slightly, you saw tiny beads of perspiration roll down his skin as he tried to exert some form of self-restraint, but that just wouldn't do.

"Stop holding back," you whispered in his ear before sitting up entirely, sliding your legs so your feet were planted either side of his hips.

Your name tore from his throat with a great deal of strain as your palms splayed on his chest and you bounced up and down on his length, your eyes rolling as you threw your head back with delighted warbles as he hit the perfect spot with each of your movements. Every one of your muscles tensed up and your eyes snapped open when you suddenly heard a faint buzzing noise, squealing loudly when you saw he had the _dirtiest_ grin on his face, and he trailed a bullet vibrator up your thigh before pressing it against your clit. The sensation of intense vibrations rippling through you stopped you dead in your tracks, gasping and moaning loudly as you instantly slipped into sweet ecstasy, your arms buckling and collapsing forward on his chest.

"You shit, where did you get that from?" You panted against his cheek, tucking your legs back down as he chuckled against you.

"Another birthday present, didn't have a chance to give it to ya before."

"Jewellery _and_ a vibrator? You do spoil me."

You sighed his name dreamily when he hummed and bent his knees to gain leverage, his hips bucking upwards in a slow and steady pace as he wove his arms around you. His momentum increased, and the blazing heat in your body began to build again as you gazed into his eyes devotedly, kissing him over and over again as you relished every moment in his embrace.

"Faster... Please..." You crooned, another orgasm fast approaching as the ravenous expression on his face was doing unworldly things to you.

Crying out as his grip tightened around you and he pulled you down every time he thrust up; your nerve ends sparking as his sweat-soaked chest stuck to yours, and his drawn-out groans pushed you to the brink of heavenly bliss. You buried your face in the crook of his neck and held your breath as you began to shake, biting down and digging your nails in his chest as your climax surged through you, with him joining you in orgasmic bliss as your walls fluttered and clamped down, milking him of every sweet sticky drop.

Almost incapacitated with pure exhaustion, you just lay there crumpled on top of him, the slowing rising and falling of his chest coupled with his feather-light stroking of your back making you relax even more.

"Still okay?" He mumbled against your head, kissing the top of it before tilting your chin up with his finger.

"Mmm? Yeah, very okay."

Flashing him a beaming grin as his eyes narrowed slightly when he inspected your face for any hint of discomfort, you scrunched up your nose up shortly after when he tapped it, satisfied that you were telling the truth.

"We'll find another way. Don't go back to Boston lass, it's not worth it."

You crossed your arms on his chest and propped yourself up slightly with a downhearted sigh, knowing something like this was coming, but you didn't expect it quite so soon.

"I already told you, I'm not changing my mind about this. Now be a good boy, do as your told and take me back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
>  
> 
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> The necklace XD This one doesn't say 'You are my love' obviously, but you get the gist ❤


	37. Chapter 37

Pacing up and down Haythams office, you stopped briefly when you heard someone on the other side of the door, but continued wearing a hole in the carpet when no one came in after a few seconds.

Thankfully, he had agreed to procure what you needed from Lee, so you didn't have to traipse around Boston in trying to find someone else to make you this particular item; as well as the barrage of questions that would come with it, but now you owed him a favour, and you didn't even want to think about what it could be when he eventually claimed it. Dropping the miniature carving that you were fiddling with down on the desk when Kenway _finally_ came back, you raised your eyebrows hopefully when you saw that he had a small envelope in his hand.

"Did you get it?"

"Of course. Are you sure you wish to go through with this? It seems rather drastic, even for you, my dear."

Scrunching your face up and nodding as you tore off the side of the packet and peered inside it to check its contents, you stared at him questioningly before stuffing it into your jacket pocket quickly, eager to get out of here as you had a perfectly timed schedule to keep to.

"Perhaps it is best that you do not know how it was made. Charles was explicit in his instructions, you will have two hours, no more. After that, there will be, dire consequences. What does Shay have to say to this little plan you have devised?"

"He doesn't know," you grumbled as he sat down at his desk, pressing his pointed forefingers against his mouth. "And I'd like to keep it that way. Only you, me, and one other will know by the time the day is out."

"I see. And the reason I know about this, is because you wish to stay with us?"

Shrugging your shoulders and opening the door as he merely slumped back and sighed, you looked over your shoulder briefly and nodded once as he wished you good luck, now in a rush for your next appointment.

 

 

"How come we're coming here _before_ gettin' your stuff love? Seems all arse about face."

Glancing out of the passenger window as you pulled up right in front of Ned Wynerts auction house, you were glad the car had blacked out windows, as you had already spotted two assassins out on patrol that were no doubt looking for you.

"I've got to make sure he'll take it first. Park up a couple of streets away then come in after, no point in risking both of us getting seen."

Kissing his cheek quickly and jumping out the car, you kept your fingers crossed that the assassins watching you were more scared of Ned and his minions than they were of their superiors, and pace walked through the double doors, letting out the breath you had been holding once you got inside without a hitch. As you had never been here before, you took a moment to glance around at the numerous antiques that had been carefully displayed about ready for his next sale, eyeing up an ornate, but deadly pair of silver swords before you turned around to the sound of someone clearing their throat behind you.

"Spanish. Eighteenth century. If you're interested, I'm sure we can come to a deal."

"Nice of you to offer Mr Wynert, but I'm more of a gun kinda girl. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," you aired confidently as you shook his hand.

"I am very busy, so you only have, ninety seconds. What can I do for you Miss (name)?"

Pausing for a moment as his assistant gave him a clipboard that required his signature, you suppressed a smirk when you saw Shay in the corner of your vision, immediately checking out the blades that you had been looking at when he walked in, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"He's with me," you blurted when the assistant went to rush over to Shay. "So, sixty seconds left. I have a vast amount of precious gems and gold I would like to sell you, to the value of 1.2 million. Or that's what they were worth last week, and the price has gone up since then."

Raising your eyebrow as he now seemed intrigued at your offer, you followed him to the 'staff only' office at the back house, beckoning Shay to come over before taking a seat when Ned sat down at his overrun desk.

"And where are these trinkets may I ask?"

"Safely hidden, for now. I wanted to make sure that you were interested first."

Pulling out a neatly folded A4 piece of paper from your coat pocket that you had written down everything you owned on it, you handed it to Ned; who immediately gave it to his assistant to tally up, grabbing Shays hand and squeezing it tightly as you all sat there in silence while you waited. Ten agonising minutes later, the PA subtly leant over and presented his workings out to Ned, leaving you biting the inside of your mouth when you caught a glimpse of what he had written down, as it was more than you had initially thought.

"One million. That's all I'm prepared to pay."

"What?! C'mon, everything's worth way more than that, you know it is!"

Jumping up when he waved his hand dismissively towards the door, you pressed your hands firmly on the edge of the desk; refusing to budge and be taken for a ride like this, much to his apparent annoyance.

"You do realise I must make a profit from this? Then there's the two hundred thousand deductible of course, for not turning you over to the assassins."

Shay, who had been sat there quietly while you did your thing, got up slowly and grabbed hold of your arm to lead you away when two burly mercenaries emerged from a hidden passage on your left; flicking out his blade when they went to reach for their guns. But still you didn't flinch, your eyes unmoving from Wynerts gaze.

"You thought I didn't know? I am a businessman, and that would have been a simple transaction. I don't care what you did, or who you work for, politics bore me. I will say this though; it's been some time since someone has stood up to me. Brave? Or stupid, who knows? One million, I suggest you take the deal."

Rolling your tongue in your cheek as you stood up and made a show of pulling yourself straight, your eyes flickered to the two thugs who were ready to pounce on you with a single word, grinning deviously as you turned back to Ned.

"Throw in the swords, and we have an agreement."

"Fine," He sighed, pushing his glasses up and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Deliver everything to Marc, and if the amount is correct, I will transfer the money. Bank number?"

Nudging Shay with your elbow; who was still glaring at the hired help, you took the slip of paper from him that had a number of a secret account that Gist had set up for you on it, dropping it on top of the mountain of files next to you.

"Oh, one more thing Mister Wynert? We have eyes on us outside, is there another way out of here?"

"With a transaction like this? Of course. Follow tweedle dee and tweedle dum, they will show you the Vip exit."

You snorted as he gestured to the men beside him before plucking up your note and tucking it into his inner jacket pocket, shooing off his assistant to fetch you your swords with surprisingly, a glimmer of a smile.

"Rousing conversation wasn't exactly on their resumes when I hired them. Pleasure doing business with you Miss (name)."

 

 

 

"How are ya planning on getting in? You know the place is being watched."

"Actually, it's not. I can't hear anything, can you see anyone lurking?"

Rolling your eyes with a chuckle as he grumpily put the sword he was examining back into the case and closed the trunk; you marched straight up to the front door when he shook his head, signalling the coast was clear.

"Not a soul about, wonder why that is? Not that I'm not grateful, but why were ya insistent on the swords? Coulda blew the deal."

"Nah, I know his type. Probably would have been insulted if I'd taken his first offer. Wasn't expecting the job proposal though! Anyway, about time I paid you back for missing your other one at the warehouse."

Grinning and tucking the business card that Ned had given you (saying he could do with someone of your moxie) back into your jeans as you entered your complex, your smile soon dropped when you climbed the several flights of stairs and you got to your apartment, to see that the framework was busted, and the door was ajar. Even though you knew no one was about, reflex kicked in and you stood to the side of the door, slowly edging it open as you extended your hidden blade.

You had expected someone to come here and search for you, but not what they had done to the place, which now resembled something close to a bomb site. Everything had been destroyed, furniture upturned and slashed open, apparently to search for any secrets that you might have had stashed away. After checking that the place was definitely clear, you dropped to your knees and pried off one of the counter panels that separated your kitchen and living area, pulling out two heavy, combination security boxes.

"They ripped the whole place apart, but didn't think to look there? Amateurs." Shay sneered as he crouched down beside you, grinning when you opened the boxes to reveal one full of small gold bars; the same as he passed on from Haytham to you for the ball, and the other filled with velvet bags containing diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

"Bloody hell love, not even I was that busy. How come you didn't spend any?"

"On what? I was never here long enough to do the place up, and everything else I needed the Assassins provided. Plus all my spare time went to working for the Templars, so, you know."

Shrugging your shoulders as you scoured around the shit tip that used to be your floor, you pulled out your old gym rucksack from under the coffee table and tipped it out on top of the pile, locking the boxes back up before tucking them inside it.

"Will you take this for me? I'm gonna take a look around and see if there's anything I can salvage."

Ushering him out the door despite his protests that you shouldn't be left on your own, you pushed it shut behind him as much as you could before toeing through the mess to see if there was _anything_ that wasn't broken. Not that there was much you wanted to take anyway. Ten years you had been here, and other than your clothing, a few knick-knacks and toiletries, the place was as impersonal as the day you moved in. No photos, no evidence of a life outside of work. Nothing.

 

 

After spending nearly an hour rifling through the debris; bagging up your clothes and salvaging a couple of weapons that had been left behind, you snapped your head up and stared out of the window when the expected pulse sang in your ear, looking at your watch and frowning at how long you had been waiting for this. Walking into the kitchen and, leaning up against the counter with your arms folded over your chest just out of sight of the window, you took a deep breath as the beat got closer, a slow but determined grating of wood on wood echoing off the walls.

"I've been waiting, expected you an hour ago."

Stepping to the side and revealing yourself to a **very** pissed off looking Connor, you flinched when he took a hesitant, but menacing step towards you and released his hidden blade, growling through gritted teeth.

"Why?! Actually, I do not want to know. The treachery is still the same, whatever the reason."

"So you won't give me a chance, after all we've been through together?" You whispered, hoping to appeal to his softer side.

Without answering he took another pace closer, the turmoil he was going through evident on his face even though he tried his best to hide it. Ever since you joined the Assassins you had always been able to read him like a book, but not this time, and you were unsure of what to do. But that choice was made for you, as at that moment, Shay walked through the door, his face twisting in rage and lunging at Connor when he saw that his blade was drawn, and as he had the element of surprise he managed to tackle him to the ground quickly.

You didn't even have the chance to yell, 'No, don't!' before Shay pulled out a sedative dart and jabbed it into his neck, holding him a choke hold until he stopped thrashing about and was unconscious. 

"How the hell did he know ya was here?!" Shay breathed, clambering up and checking to see if you were okay.

"He is, was, my best friend remember. Probably knows me better than I know myself. You didn't have to do that, I was getting through to him."

"Yeah, looked like it, love..."

Frowning as you stared at Connors slumped form on the floor, you knew that when he eventually came out of it talking to him was going to be that much harder now as if anything he was going to think he had been ambushed.

"I-I still want to explain to him, I owe him that much," you grumbled, raising your hand when you knew Shay was going to attempt to stop you. "Help me tie him up, at least then he'll have no choice but to listen."

"An just what makes you think he will?! He already tried to kill you once, what's stopping him from tryin' again? Best friend or not, I think we should just get out of here. You have the money, no point in making things worse."

Ignoring him while you picked up your only dining chair that hadn't been turned into splinters, you then kicked and searched around for something you could use as restraints, settling on using the rope tie backs from your curtains before turning back and glowering defiantly.

"If you had the chance to make a single thing you did wrong right again, wouldn't you do it? Now, are you gonna help me or not?"

Groaning when you slid your hands under Connors' arm and pulled him up to a semi-standing position; as even with Shays help he still weighed a ton, you managed to manoeuvre him to the chair and sit him down, binding his wrists together quickly while Shay held him in place.

"Nice knot there lass, should have ya helping out more on the ship."

"Oh, I can tie people up, think I'll leave the sails to you and Christopher," you chuckled when he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, then gestured for you to come over when he moved around and leant on your counter.

Grinning when he wove one hand around you and pulled you firmly to his chest, and cupped your chin with the other, you sighed gently when he looked like he was planning something, then kissed the top of your head briefly.

"Ya know, we could always just live on the Morrigan. Travel the world? Always been meaning to go up North."

"North? As in the cold, and ice and penguins?!" You chuckled, shivering at the thought.

"Penguins are south, polar bears are in the Arctic."

He chuckled and pulled you in tighter as your face screwed up in mock horror, before bobbing your head to and fro as you considered it. It wasn't a bad idea, roaming about and seeing far and exotic places that most people only dare dream of going. But that wouldn't solve your current situation; you'd always be looking over your shoulder and wondering if today was the day that they'd found you. Fingers crossed that after tonight, that wouldn't be a problem anymore. Just in case things didn't go as well as you had planned, you chose to tell him something that you had been thinking about for quite a while now; weighing heavy on your shoulders, chewing at your lip as you stood there for a moment, wondering how to put it.

"Sounds like a plan. But there's something I need to tell you..."

Swallowing hard as you fiddled with one of the straps on his coat, you found that you couldn't look him in the eye as you spoke, as this was as close as you could get to feeling guilty.

"When we first met in Haythams office, I already knew who you were. I was sent, to hunt you down. To kill you..."

You stopped and raised your eyebrows when you could feel him vibrating against you, looking up and automatically bewildered when be had an amused grin plastered on his face, and was doing his best not to burst out laughing.

"Ya had me worried there for a sec. I already know that lass. Seven years I was hiding in the shadows, you're the only one who came close. Glad ya changed your mind about it."

"Y-you knew?! When? How?? Why didn't you say something before?!" You babbled.

"Cos I hoped you'd learn the truth about me, an then when we got to know each other, seemed pointless after that. Remember when I said I was lookin' into ya when you first came to the hotel? Always knew there was something special about you, which is why I didn't back away even with Gist yellin' down my ear."

Spinning around in Shays' arms when you heard a light grumbling from behind you, you winced when you saw that Connor was now awake, glaring at you and fighting against his bonds.

"That is why you did it?! For him?" He spat, making the chair teeter and the rope creak as he struggled harder.

Turning back to Shay and looking at him with pleading eyes, you kissed him softly when he sighed heavily and bowed his head, then gritting his teeth as he grabbed Connor by his shirt and growled lowly in his face.

"Touch her, and I will hunt ya down. Then your family, then your friends, and I will make you watch as I kill them all. Understood?"

Connor twisted himself enough so Shay lost his grip on his shirt before stopping struggling, glaring at both of you before nodding somberly.

"I'll head back lass. Be careful, please? I love you."

"I love you too," you whispered, your fingertips the last thing to part as he stomped out the door.

"If I cut you free, are you going to listen?"

Inching your way forward when he just sat there, unmoving and staring at the floor, you circled behind him and flicked out your blade, cutting through the rope swiftly and taking a step back in case he jumped up to come at you. But he didn't. Other than flexing his wrists and rubbing the sore points from where the rope had dug in due to his writhing, he continued to fix his gaze at the same spot where you had just been stood, not making any attempt to flee, or attack.

"What I said was true, the assassins are making weapons. We're supposed to protect the innocent, not put them in harm's way, I couldn't let them-"

"How long?"

Walking back in front of him and crouching down so you could see his face, you curled your finger underneath his chin so you could look him in the eye, doing it a second time a bit more forcefully when his hand snapped up and brushed you away.

"Six years, since the Walpole incident. I didn't do it to betray anyone, I did it because civilians were getting tortured and hurt. But that doesn't matter now. I want to ask you something. A favour."

Standing back up when he almost pushed you over with an angry scoff, you put on your best 'I'm deadly serious' face and stood there with your arms crossed, waiting for him to ask what it was as you knew intrigue would get the better of him.

"You are in no position to ask anything of me," he spat. "But just to amuse you, I will ask what it is."

The corner of your mouth tugged up as you pulled the packet that Haytham had given you earlier out of your coat pocket, handing it to him slowly with a deep breath.

"I want you to kill me."


	38. Chapter 38

Standing there and drumming your fingers on your arms when he burst out into maniacal laughter; something you had **never** seen him do, you remained almost expressionless until he abruptly stopped, raising his eyebrows when he realised you really weren't kidding.

"You want me to what!? You are insane, the Templars have rotted your head!"

Tapping the glass vial with the back of your finger when he tipped it out of the packet into his palm and, held it up with his forefinger and thumb out of intrigue, you seized it off him quickly when he looked like he was about to throw it out of the window; jumping up out of the chair in an almost hysterical rage.

"I knew you were not dead when I saw them carry you away, but do you have any idea what I went through? First my father, then I find out who you really are, and now you want me to...to..."

"Ratonhnhaké:ton, will you shut up for one second!" You screeched trying to get a word in edgeways, knowing that using his proper name would get his attention.

It did.

"I was serious when I said I wanted out at the funeral, and the only way I can do that is with your help. This will only mimic death."

 _Well, you hoped._ Because if Charles had caught wind of who it was actually for, there wouldn't be any, _mimicking_ about it.

"It'll put me in something like a coma, and slow my heart to nearly undetectable. Then that's where you come in. You'll need to um... present... my body to the Brotherhood, or they'll never believe it. I know I have no right to ask, but I beg of you. Please!?"

Taking a closer gander at the contents of the small bottle; as you never had a chance to before, while you let what you had just said sink in, you almost threw up in your mouth as you shook it and it looked like rancid black sludge, not looking forward to having **that** in your body, at all. It didn't go unnoticed that you were pulling a face similar to when he had forced you to drink his smoothie at the hospital, as he snatched it off you and unscrewed the metal top, holding it out of your reach until you stopped trying to get it back, sniffing it warily. 

"What, is it??"

"I have no idea what's in it, I was told I would be better off not knowing. But I trust the person who made it for me."

 _Lie lie lie._ More lies, but the less he knew about where it came from, the better. Sitting on the floor with your legs crossed and holding your chin in your hands while he calmed down slightly; his temperament as variable as yours used to be, and he deliberated your request, your ears pricked up when he finally mumbled something, but you didn't make out a single word.

"What?"

"Are you doing it, to be with him? That... Templar."

Trying not to grit your teeth and frown when he said that last bit with malice, you needed to choose your next words carefully as you had no doubt, that one wrong thing said and he point blank refuse, then this would all be over.

"Look, I'm not gonna pull any punches here, it is partly. But I'm tired. Tired of deceiving everyone, trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong, I just don't know anymore."

Lowering your head when it looked like he had already made up his mind and marched towards the door, you wracked your brain for the name of someone else you could ask, but as before, there was no one you could come up with that you either trusted enough or wouldn't actually kill you for real on the spot. Not that you could blame him of course, this was already a million to one shot in the first place, and Shay knocking him unconscious definitely didn't help your cause in the slightest.

"Are you coming or not? I am not the only one looking for you, which I am sure you are aware of."

Jumping up wide-eyed when he just stood there holding the door open, you went to hug him but stopped in your tracks when his entire body visibly tensed up, definitely not wanting to push your luck right now.

"This does not mean I forgive you, but it is better than the alternative. I am assuming you have already planned out exactly what you want to do?"

You nodded as you took the vial back off him and took one last look around with a heavy sigh, slamming the door behind you and making your way down to the street.

 

 

Absentmindedly picking at the bark of the tree you were slumped up against as you waited for Connor to arrive, you stared up towards the sky to try and see the stars through the foliage, but as nothing peeked through, you settled on checking your watch for what felt like the millionth time in ten minutes. If he didn't turn up soon, all of this would go to shit as you knew Shay would eventually come looking for you, and that's _exactly_ what you didn't need right now. You had managed to fend him off for a while by messaging that you were tying up a few loose ends, but that was several hours ago, and the clock was ticking.

Clambering up when you heard the unmistakable sound of Connors Jeep traversing through the forest, you opened the trunk when he eventually pulled up, staring confusedly at the completely barren space.

"You didn't get it?!"

"Of course I did, I wasn't going to leave it out where everyone could see it," He grumbled as he lifted a compartment in the floor to reveal a portable defibrillator.

"Okay. Remember the plan? We're running out of time."

Climbing into the trunk and pulling out the vial along with a syringe of clear liquid to counter the concoction that Haytham had also given you, you held the needle out to Connor, thrusting it into his hand when he was hesitant in taking it.

"You will swallow that.. that, poison, then I will take you to the manor to show everyone, drive you to the docks, stab you with this, electrocute you. I-I am not sure I can do it. You are making me as bad as you, deceiving our friends, our, family-"

"Then you might as well finish what you started. I'd rather meet my end at your hand than anyone else's."

"Why not just run? I for one would be happy never to see you again." He sneered, making you freeze to the spot utterly aghast as you never realised he could be so cold.

He continued to match your stare for several moments before his face dropped to a sorrowful expression, with you laying your hand on his arm dubiously as he stuffed the injection into his pocket.

"I am sorry. Or not, I do not know anymore. Because of you, I am angry, but also sad, and you still haven't given me a good reason why?"

Sighing heavily as you could only imagine the weight that you had inadvertently dropped on his shoulders, you slid your hand into your coat and plucked out a crisp white envelope, wafting it in front of his face to get his attention. 

"There isn't time to explain now, but everything is in here. What happened, why I did it, everything. I know I could apologise a million times over and it still wouldn't be enough, but it's the best I could do."

Laying down and getting yourself comfortable (not that it mattered) as he peered into the envelope with a nod, and looked confused as there was a smaller one nestled along with several folded pieces of paper, you opened the vial and knocked back its contents in one swallow before he could change his mind _again_ , coughing and almost throwing it straight back up as the foul sludge slid down your throat.

"Could you, find some way of giving that other one to Shay?" You mumbled, surprised that you were already starting to feel drowsy.

"Another favour? You are pushing your luck (name)."

"I know..." was the last thing to pass your lips as your head swam and everything went dark.

 

Connor stood staring at you for a few moments watching the colour drain from your face, the rise and fall of your chest slowing, almost panicking when it took him a solid minute to find your pulse because it was so weak. His hands were shaking as he quickly set a two hour alarm on his watch, pausing for a moment as he went to close the trunk. Leaning over, he lifted your shirt just enough so he could see your stomach, wincing when he saw the scar he had given you a few weeks ago. It had nearly completely healed, but still a dark shade of pink and slightly puckered as he ran his thumb over it, choking back a sob and swallowing hard so the tear burning at his eye didn't fall. Picking up a pouch of blood he had collected along with the defibrillator, he carefully tore the top and spilt some onto your chest over where your heart was and, used his blade to slice a small hole in your top, the ruse now complete.

"I shall, miss you (name)," he whispered, closing the back up and jumping in the front seat to take you to the manor.

 

 

Almost everyone he had messaged was already stood outside when he pulled up, all looking slightly unnerved at what could be so important to be called out like this. Connor took a deep breath as he turned off the engine and jumped out to face his colleagues, now wanting to get this over with as fast as possible.

"Hey big guy, what the hell is going on? Better be a good reason for dragging us out the pub!"

He ignored the jeering from Jacob; who was now nudging Eddie in the arm which made him nod in agreement, pushing past Desmond and Altaïr so he could get to the boot of his car, sombre and expressionless as he clicked the latch. They all moved in closer when Connor dropped to the floor and buried his head in his hands, the air going thick and silent as they peered in, their eyes unmoving from your pale, lifeless body. Nobody moved or spoke as the took in the heart-wrenching sight before them, until another car sped up the drive and halted with a skid, with Ezio jumping out and running over, panic-stricken as he barged everyone out of the way.

"Cara...no..." He whispered as he slid his arms underneath you and, pulled your body into his arms. "I am so sorry. I knew, knew I should have gotten you out sooner."

Connor, who had refused to look at anyone while this was going on, stood up slowly as Ezio lay you back down, crossing your arms over your chest before trailing his fingertips over your cheek.

"What do you mean, gotten her out sooner?" Connor growled lowly, as everyone's focus immediately turned to your mentor.

"I suppose, there is no point in keeping it hidden anymore as she is, gone. I sent (name) to infiltrate the Templars, undercover to find the Assassin hunter that has been plaguing us for years. I knew something wasn't right when I last saw her at the warehouse, but I did not think it would come to this-"

Ezio didn't have the chance to finish explaining as Connor let out a bellowing roar, grabbing him by his coat and throwing him against his Jeep with enough force that it dented the side panel, a sickening thud echoing through the air.

"You, did this to her!!?"

It took all four of the other men to pry Connor away from Ezio and keep him a bay, his flailing about knocking Altaïr to the floor while Eddie was screaming at him to calm the hell down, but he paid no attention and continued to try and get to Ezio, even with Jacob clinging onto his legs so he couldn't move.

"How could you! It is all your fault! I should rip your head off!"

"Enough!" Ezio gasped, taking a moment to pull himself straight and catch his breath when everyone momentarily froze. "I shall forgive this, outburst because I know you are upset. But touch me like that **ever** again, and I assure you it will be the last thing you ever do!"

Connor hung his head in shame as he knew he shouldn't have lashed out towards a master like that, but as his nerves felt like they were ripped bare at everything that was going on, he couldn't help it. Pushing Eddie from in front of him and shaking Jacob off his legs, he calmly closed the trunk and pulled out his keys from his pocket, frowning as he glanced at his watch and saw that he only had just over an hour left.

"Sorry. It is a lot to handle, it won't happen again. This, assassin hunter. Who is he?"

Ezio cocked his slightly head as he scrutinised Connors expression; picking up on that he was holding something back, but rather than aggravate the situation and pry as to what it was, he decided to simply answer the question and hope that he would reveal what he was hiding.

"No one knows. That's what (name) was sent to find out, although she assured me that the Templars never revealed his identity. All we know is that he favoured wearing a long black coat, and mask."

Connor subtly shot Jacob a hardened stare when he went to no doubt chirp up about how he'd seen someone like that in London, _then_ again on the Jackdaw; his jaw snapping shut as fast as it opened, before jumping into his front seat and rubbing his face as everything started to make sense.

"Connor. (Name) chose her own path, it isn't my fault she strayed from it. All I asked of her, was to do her job. Where are you taking her?"

"To bury her of course. What else would I be doing?" He grumbled angrily, going to slam his door shut but was stopped by Ezio grabbing it.

"I will come with you. I wish to say my goodbyes also."

Before he had a chance to argue, Ezio had spun on his heel and pace walked to his car, starting the engine and flashing his lights in signalling for him to lead the way. Connors' knuckles were almost white as he gritted his teeth and slowly pulled out of the drive; heading back towards the forest, his brow furrowing painfully as he contemplated how he was now going to lose not only Ezio, but also the red shadow that had been lingering in the treetops for the past half an hour.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaah the muse has been strong for the past few days, so an early update for the weekend! XD

Connor took another furtive glance in his rear view mirror as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, grimacing when he still saw headlights not too far behind. He had taken the roughest path he knew through the brush in hoping that Ezio wouldn't be able to traverse it, but he had vastly underestimated his driving skills, and he had seemed to make his way through with ease. His entire body went rigid as his watch let out a single beep, letting him know that only half an hour was remaining before he had to bring you back, and he was running out of options.

It was still a good twenty minutes drive to the docks from here; longer if traffic was bad, and he **still** had the looming red silhouette to deal with too. He daren't revive you before you got to the marina so you could quickly meet your contact; and board the ship you had booked passage on, as the way his luck was going he would either get pulled over, or spotted with you, **not** dead. No wonder you had wanted out, he had barely even done anything, and he was already getting a headache from trying to figure out the best way to do this, without getting himself caught in the process.

"What have you gotten me into (name)..." He grumbled to himself, slowing down as he got to a suitable place he could, _bury_ you.

He slammed his fists on his legs and took a deep breath before getting out in an attempt to calm his nerves, but as expected it didn't help in the slightest, and he was still no better off than he was a few minutes ago until a thought popped into his head. It was a terrible idea and had a slim chance of succeeding, but it was all he had to go on as he was 'winging it' as you would put it. Getting out of the car; almost choking himself on the seatbelt as he had forgotten it in his distracted state, the first thing he did was to open the tailgate fully, now entirely on guard as he knew that the person who had been following him, was now able to see your body lying inside.

"Do not let me down, Templar..." He whispered to the night sky through gritted teeth, turning to Ezio as he dolefully approached.

"A question. As I'm assuming it was you who did this to her, has she suffered?"

"No, the kill was quick and clean. She may have been a traitor, but she was still my friend."

Ezios eyes narrowed and he scratched his chin thoughtfully when Connor went to pass him a shovel from the back seat, as that _wasn't_ the question that he had asked him, and also wondering why he was speaking so loudly. He didn't have a chance to ponder it further when a twig snapped above him, and in a split second, a billowing of fabric appeared a foot away, landing a heavy blow straight to his chest which sent him flying and almost blacked out as he collided against the tree behind him. 

Connor only just fought the urge to retaliate when his legs were swept out from under him, landing on his back with an 'oof' and a hidden blade immediately pressed up against his neck; Shay straddling over him.

"Why?!!!" Shay roared, pressing the edge of the blade harsher against his neck, so it began drawing blood.

Connor raised his chin defiantly as he stared at his face, his initial decision to leave him in the dark about what was going on going straight out the window, as he had never seen anybody so wracked with so much, guilt, and anguish before in his life.

"You, really do love her, don't you?"

"I did! But now she's gone, dead by your hand. So now ya gonna die by mine!"

Quickly becoming exasperated at the entire situation, Connor promptly gripped Shays arm around his bracer and pushed up so the cold metal was no longer cutting against his neck; easily managing to fight against Shays force even though he had the leverage, raising his head enough to snarl lowly in his face. 

"You stupid ape. You are going to ruin everything..."

Shays body slumped, and his eyes widened as he followed Connors flickering gaze to his car, now looking more unhinged than anything else. Just as Shay opened his mouth to speak, a resounding thunk; similar to that of a melon being split open, came from behind him, collapsing on Connors' chest and revealing an enraged Ezio stood there with a fallen branch grasped firmly in his hands. Connor rolled Shays' unconscious body to the side and, took Ezio's hand when he extended it to help him up; mumbling a thank you, both looking down as they brushed themselves off.

"That is the Assassin hunter! What is he doing here?! More importantly, why was he hesitant in killing you?"

"Do not look at me, I was hoping you could tell me what was going on?!"

Connor kept his head lowered as untruths were not one of his fortes; one look at the master and he would instantly know, grabbing a zip tie from a compartment in his trunk and throwing it to Ezio so he could tie Shay up.

"It is refreshing to see you are well equipped. Most of my protégés don't even bother. Help me."

Wary of Ezios' intentions now that he had Shay in his grasp, he helped him pull off his coat and mask, quickly tying his hands behind his back before he regained consciousness and carrying him to the rear of his car.

"What are you going to do with him?"

"Six years I have been chasing this, hunter, I have many questions for him. He will tell me what I need to know one way or another. I will be taking him to my offices, the manor is not equipped enough to detain such a man, and they would most likely slit his throat before I can get anything out of him. You will mark the, grave? So I can find it when I return?"

Connor, who was barely paying any attention as he was wiping away the trickle of blood from his neck, snapped his head up as a sickening wave of dread washed over him as what Ezio had just said registered. He knew Shay would never, **intentionally** reveal anything about himself or you, but he had heard rumours that the higher ranks of the order had adapted their techniques to coerce information out of captives, and that now left him with an even bigger problem.

Without saying anything he just gave Ezio a simple nod as he got into his car and drove away, the second he was out of sight, closing his own back up and sped off at a pace that the Flash himself would have sensed competition, now with only fifteen minutes left on the clock. He was beginning to think that the whole world was against him as he blared his horn for the umpteenth time; having caught the tail end of the rush hour traffic and was only moving at a snails pace, looking around frantically for a way to get out of his as his wrist vibrated with his alarm, the timer now at zero.

Spotting an opportunity where someone wasn't paying attention to the cars moving forward, he slammed his foot on the accelerator as he turned the wheel harshly, just squeezing through the gap and narrowly missing a tanker that was trundling in the opposite direction, not even caring about the damage when he clipped the wall as he screeched down a dimly lit side street. You were out of time, and even though you had insisted he not deviate from the plan to minimise the chance of _him_ getting caught, he had no other choice.

Launching himself over his seat and into the back, he almost ripped the latches off as he laid the chairs flat, giving himself enough space to work in as he pulled out the defibrillator from the area under the flooring and flicked it on. Attaching a sticky pad and wire to your chest before digging in his pocket for the injection, his blood ran cold when nothing but a flat line appeared on the small screen, swallowing hard as he checked his watch for the time. _Only four minutes after, surely the poison could not be that accurate?!?_ Without hesitating any longer, he ripped open your shirt and pulled the protector cap off the syringe with his teeth, stabbing it straight between your ribs and into your heart, pressing the plunger down firmly.

He held his fingers against the pulse point of your throat for a good thirty seconds; not that he didn't trust the machine but he wasn't leaving anything to chance, not even a blip appearing, nor could he feel anything under his fingertips. Usually, he would easily keep calm in situations like this, but not this time. His hands were shaking as he peeled the backings off the electrical pads, placing one just under your collarbone and the other below your armpit, a bead of sweat forming on his brow as he jabbed the button firmly.

Your body lurched upwards as the current surged through it, but other than the jolt from the device, there was still no sign of a beat, so he rammed the switch again, anxiously waiting for it to charge. After a third, and then a fourth time of the same outcome he was on the verge of hysterics, ripping the pads off and beginning CPR, your skin feeling like ice under his hands. But still, he continued, refusing to stop even to brush away the tear that was pooling at the corner of his eye.

Scooping you in his arms when after another minute, the only sound that came from anywhere about was of the low flatline tone he'd been trying to ignore, he held you tightly and began rocking back and forth, whispering against your head as the tears he had been holding back leaked treacherously down his face.

"You cannot die like this. After everything you have been through, you would succumb to that, venom? You are a warrior, so fight it! Wake up (name), wake up!!"

He didn't realise that he had stopped rocking and was now shaking you, until your limp arm dropped down and a shiny object fell into his lap, picking it up carefully as he didn't even realise you were clutching onto something. He couldn't read the intricate swirly writing on the back of the pendant, but he didn't need to guess who had given it to you.

"If you will not wake up for me, then do it for him!" He screamed in your face, thumping at your chest with the back of his fist.

With one more hefty whack to your ribs, your eyes snapped open and your back arched up, drawing in the biggest and loudest gulp of air known to man, before clawing at your chest as it felt like your heart was about to explode. Connor freely sobbed against your cheek while you swallowed a few more breaths, and even though he could hear rapid beeping next to him, he checked your pulse once again, laughing as he felt it throbbing strongly against his finger.

"Fuuuuuuck... it hurts..." You wheezed, trying to sit up but the way he was holding you made it impossible. "Why a-are... you crying?"

You helped him wipe his face with the palm of your hand; which took a lot of effort as it felt like a rhino was sat on top of you, until he calmed down enough to talk, giving up on trying to move as it was obvious now that he wasn't about to let go anytime soon.

"You, nearly did not come back. Eight minutes your heart stopped for... I-I thought you were gone..."

Sighing as you laid there cradled in his arms, you winced when you picked off the sticky tab that attached the heart monitor to your chest as it was getting very annoying, hoping that the effects of the shot would wear off soon because now your head was thumping painfully too.

"Should know by now that you can't get rid of me that easily," you chuckled, raising your eyebrow at your dishevelled appearance. "Um, mind if I get dressed?"

You didn't say anything about how your shirt was torn when he finally let you go so you could do yourself up, instead settling on buttoning up your coat as you glanced out of the window, your eyebrows raising when you saw that you weren't where you expected to be.

"Why aren't we at the docks?! Did something go wrong??"

"Ezio," he mumbled, stuffing everything strewn about back under the floor and putting the seat back up as you clambered over. "He insisted on coming with me to bury your body, so everything took longer. It is a good job I pulled over when I did."

"Oh. Everything else went okay?"

You didn't even notice that he wouldn't look at you as it felt like your lungs were on fire, too busy on concentrating on your breathing other than to squeeze his arm in thanks when he hummed something that sounded like 'uh huh'. Taking the blanket he handed to you and pulling it over yourself as you squished yourself as flat as you could behind his seat, you poked your face out just enough so he could hear you without it being muffled as he pulled off towards the docks.

"Is there any way I can repay you? For helping me. I know it took a lot for you to do it."

"No."

Spending the rest of the drive in silence as it seemed like he wasn't in the mood for talking now, you didn't realise actually how close you were until he stopped after only a few minutes, unmoving from his seat and keeping the engine running; which was probably a good job considering whose ship it was you were stowing away on. Shuffling out and closing the door quietly, you were immediately tapped on the shoulder from behind, spinning around and scrunching your nose up when you were faced with a middle-aged bearded man who stunk of ale and fish.

"You (name)?"

"Yes, and you are...?"

"Ben. Ben Hornigold," he grumbled, eyeing up Connor who was now glaring at him. "You're late. Either you've got some damned good sway, or beer flavoured tits to pull a favour like this, dragging me to this shite hole. We leave in five, with or without ya."

He didn't even wait for you to reply before turning about and storming off to his ship, leaving you glancing at Connor out of the corner of your eye, who looked like he was about to jump out and rip the captains' limbs off for talking to you like that. Resting one arm on the sill of his door and reaching in with the other, you placed your palm gently on his cheek and turned him to face you, holding his gaze with soft eyes and a gentle smile.

"Thank you. For everything. I owe you my life." You whispered, slumping your shoulders when he didn't return your gesture.

Turning to leave when you heard one of the crew yelling to pull in the mooring ropes, you spun around with your eyebrows raised when you heard your name being called, a wide grin spreading across your face when you saw Connor sticking his tongue out at you.

"If you could, find a way to let me know you are safe?"

Giving him a double thumbs up and a nod, you ran up the pier and onto the 'Benjamin' just in time, now in search of the captain to find out where you'll be hiding for however long this voyage would take.


	40. Chapter 40

Connor stayed at the docks until the ship was out of his sight, feeling, numb, about what he had just done. He had just saved his best friend, but the price of betraying his family for it was almost too much to bear. 

Suddenly remembering the letter that you had given him earlier, he drove out of the marina and back to the side street he was in before, confident that there still wouldn't be any prying eyes about here. He leant over to the glove box and pulled it out, resting his hands on the steering wheel as he held it in the tips of his fingers, debating whether to read it or not. _Did it matter?_ You had already tried to explain, but he hadn't wanted to hear it, far too angry at the time. But now he had calmed down and was thinking slightly clearer, he actually _did_ want to know what would push you to do this. 

He knew you better than most, well enough that you most certainly would have a damned good reason for it. So folding the top back and tugging out the folded sheet of A4 paper, he smoothed it out as slumped back in his seat, already rubbing his temple with his free hand as he began reading.

 

**My dearest Connor,**

**You know I'm crap at these things, but for you, I've tried. I'm sure you've figured out a lot by yourself by now, but please, PLEEEEEEASE don't be angry at anyone else but me. I've been working for the Templars for six years as I said, but it was Master Auditore that sent me there to find and assassinate Shay. A piece of cake really, but then I started to find out things about the Brotherhood that I didn't agree with. Not things I'm going to tell you, but like you always said to me when I first started, follow your gut and do what you think is right, and everything will be okay? So I did. And then I went and fell for the man that I was sent to kill. You know me, gotta do everything the hard way!...**

He let out a heavy sigh as he carried on reading the rest, some of which he already knew, some of which he didn't. Now he was feeling slight, empathy, he still didn't agree with what you did, but now could at least understand the reasons why. Just as he was coming to an end, he nearly dropped the letter and had to re-read the last bit three times more, not quite believing his eyes as the printed words finally sunk in.

**... I donated $100,000 to the children's centre that you volunteer at, in your name of course, so expect them to dogpile you when you go in next. I know this doesn't make up for anything, but I hope it's a start. Must go, you're about to find me in my apartment.**

**All my love,**

**(Name)**

Now that was something he didn't expect, and he sat there in a state of shock, wondering for a moment where you could have gotten the money from. But then it finally clicked, and he was somewhat proud that you had tried to turn this around, even if it was 'blood money'. He flinched slightly when a couple of loud raps came from his window, winding it down because in the sudden onslaught of rain; which he hadn't even noticed had started, had made it so he could only see a blurry outline of a person through the glass.

"Jacob?! What are you doing here?"

"You gonna let me in? Or let me freeze to death in this pissing downpour?"

Connor _almost_ cursed under his breath when he stuffed the letter quickly into his pocket, before unlocking the doors as Jacob hobbled around to the passenger side, jumping in and shaking himself off, making everywhere instantly sodden.

"Right. Are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on? Or do I have to beat it out of you?" Jacob sneered, grinning when Connor rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"You could attempt to, but we both know what the outcome would be. And I do not know what you are talking about. Nothing is 'going on'?"

Both of them sat there staring at each other, unflinching as they tried to look for a telltale sign of how much they knew, but they were equal in the stubborn department and nothing was let on. It was Connor who spoke first, but that was to change the subject completely when his gaze dropped ever so slightly to Jacobs' hands and saw that they were swollen, knuckles red raw and gashed open.

"Do we, need to take someone to the emergency room?"

"Hmm? Nah, don't think a brick wall needs the A&E. Anyway, what was with the evil eye back at the manor? Why didn't you want Auditore to know that we'd seen that asshole on the Jackdaw? And I know (names) not dead, so where is she?"

Connor froze and, bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood as he fixed his gaze on the raindrops trickling down his window screen, anticipation balling in his gut as he wondered how on earth he could have found that out.

"Bit obvious, you're not exactly cut up about it for starters. You used one of them Doppelthingys, didn't you? Knew that weren't her."

"Jacob..." Connor whispered as he carried on babbling about his theory, scratching his chin and nodding to himself in determination that he was right.

"Doppelfinger? No, that's not right..."

"Jacob."

"Ah ha! Doppelganger! That's it, one of those! And she's off hiding out somewhere..."

"Jacob!!"

He abruptly shut up when Connor roared out and slammed his fists on the dash; sending a crack rippling all the way across, trembling as he collapsed back into his seat and rubbed his face harshly.

"I promise you, that was (name) in my trunk. If you think for one **second** that I am not 'cut up' about it, push me further, and see where that gets you."

Jacobs face dropped, and for probably the first time in his life, he actually felt slightly panicked. He had seen Connor angry before but never towards his friends, and after what he had seen him do to Ezio, he made a smart decision for once in his life and decided to let it drop, even though he was almost certainly feeling the same way.

"I think... I need a drink. You coming with?"

Numbly taking his hat off and shaking the water off it; fiddling with it before he put it back on, Jacob scooted out back out into the gloomy weather when Connor shook his head once, leaving him with his thoughts. Now that he was alone again, Connor groaned as he saw the extent of the damage he had caused in his anger; thinking briefly how he was going to explain how it occurred, but he dismissed it quickly as he had bigger worries on his plate right now.

His stomach churned at the thought of helping a Templar, but he didn't have a choice. Well, he could kill him he supposed, and the thought had crossed his mind more than once, but he couldn't do that to you, even after everything that's happened. After weighing up his options of _how_ he was going to pull this off; as he knew where Ezios facility was but had never actually been there, he threw a minor strop as he reversed out of the alleyway and, headed towards the suit store.

 

As he wasn't authorised to use the entrance at the back of the facility, Connor banged on the front door loudly to call the attention of the assistant, who was still about locking up for the night. He looked unnerved as he opened it up; even though he knew who was stood before him, but he was wary as he didn't know what would warrant such urgency.

"I need to speak to Ezio." Connor blurted as he barged in.

"I'm sorry sir, Master Auditore is, indisposed at the moment. Perhaps you could come back in the morning?"

Connor pinched the bridge of his nose as his last nerve had been struck; dismissing the little bit of patience he had left, and grabbed the assistant with one hand by his lapel, lifting him in the air and holding him an inch away, growling in his face.

"Take. Me. To. Ezio. Now."

The now petrified salesman pulled at his collar so stop himself from choking and nodded furiously, wheezing when Connor dropped him back down to his feet and gestured towards the back of the shop.

"There... W-was no need... Follow m-me..."

Drumming his fingers on his arm impatiently on his crossed arms while the aide opened up the hidden door upstairs, Connor barged into the facility as soon as it was open, spotting the very man he wanted to see leaning against a console at the other end. He couldn't help the twitch of his lips when he saw that he had his shirt sleeves rolled up; droplets of blood spattered up one side, and he was slightly dishevelled as if he had been working out.

"Connor? What are you doing here?"

"You should think about replacing your man at the front, it did not take a lot of convincing to get him to let me in. I came because I wanted to know more about this hunter (name) was attempting to find, possibly, _ask_ him a few questions of my own?"

Ezio smirked when Connor clenched his fists tightly and looked around for where Shay could have been held captive, his eyes landing on an almost discreet door to his right; the only one that didn't have a sign on it to indicate what it was.

"I see. Well, I shall leave Niccolò where he is, for now, it isn't often he comes across someone as, formidable as you. As for the hunter, unfortunately, his lips are staying sealed, even though I tried to convince him otherwise. Perhaps you will have better luck?"

Connors initial instinct was proven right when Ezio led him to the room he had spotted on his own, raising his eyebrow when he stopped at the threshold and hovered his hand over the keypad, not yet opening it but standing there thoughtfully.

"Two things before you go in. Firstly, he is restrained, but you should exercise extreme caution. We are not sure what he is capable of."

"Hmph, I do not think that will be necessary. The second?"

"Principessa. She is, where she is supposed to be?"

Thoroughly confused as that was a bizarre way to put it, Connor merely nodded as he didn't know what to say to that with prying; which would no doubt aggravate the master again, standing behind Ezio and slyly peeking over his shoulder as he keyed in the code to open the door, quickly memorising it before glaring into the pitch black room when the door opened.

"Enjoy. Please leave something for the rest of us, hmm?" he chuckled. "Press the buzzer when you are finished."

Slowly walking in, Connor squinted when the door slammed shut and the overhead lights flickered on; for what he assumed they had been turned off for sensory deprivation, leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed again until his eyes adjusted to the brightness. It appeared that Ezio hadn't wasted any time in 'questioning' Shay, Connor was almost shocked when he saw him bound to a metal chair that was bolted to the floor, seemingly beaten to with an inch of his life. Clothes torn, deep bruises already emerging on his neck and shoulders, and from what he could see of his face as he was slumped forward, he was barely recognisable as most of it was stained crimson.

"That was, very dense of you. I thought you might have had _some_ brains."

Shay lightly groaned and lifted his head to see who was talking to him; which wasn't easy as one eye was completely swollen shut with the other following close behind, straining against his bonds and spitting blood on the floor when he made out who it was.

"You. I'm gonna burn this whole place down when I get outta here, then I'm gonna make good on my promise!"

Connor just stood there with an amused smirk on his face as Shay continued to struggle; quite surprised at the amount of fight he still had left in him, sliding himself along the wall until he was just underneath the security camera. Slowly and deliberately he reached up and pulled the cable out of the back of it, before crouching down in front of Shay, holding what was left of his gaze when he looked down from what he had done.

"You have gotten yourself into quite a predicament. You should hold your tongue, unless you would want me to change my mind?"

"Change yer mind about what?! Torture me, kill me? Seems like ya favour both," Shay snarled, throwing his head forward in attempts to headbutt Connor, but of course, he missed.

In retaliation Connor snapped up and grabbed Shay by the shoulder, delivering a hefty blow to his gut before leaning over to growl in his ear, "That was for threatening me. And this..." Another hit, but harder this time, making Shay gasp as wheeze as the wind was knocked out of him. "Was for sedating me. Twice."

Resuming his crouched position in front of him, Connor waited for Shay to catch his breath and slid his hand in his jeans pocket, curling his fingers around the very thing that would make Shay more, cooperative.

"Now. Are you going to behave? Or shall I walk back out that door and leave you to your fate? In an ideal world I would have chosen the latter, but as I have come to realise recently, not everything is as simple as I would like it to be."

Shay was now thoroughly confused as he now only paid any attention to what Connor was saying, flicking his eyes back up to the camera briefly before going to Connors' face again, who now had his head cocked and eyebrows raised.

"Ya know I'm kinda busy here, so if there's something ya want, make it quick." Shay sneered, now gritting his teeth defiantly.

Connor didn't say anything as he pulled his hand out of his pocket and, held his fist right in front of Shays nose so he could see it properly through his obscured vision, a sly smile creeping up his face when he finally uncurled his fingers and revealed what was nestled in his palm, Shays breath hitching as expected when he saw your necklace.

"Would you like the opportunity to give this back to who it belongs to?"


	41. Chapter 41

"She is still with us, I have just dropped her off at the docks. We are not all cold-blooded murderers like yourself."

Connor waved his free hand in front of Shays' face as he just sat there staring at his palm, a micro pang of regret flicking through him when he thought that maybe he had suffered one blow too many, and it had caused irreparable damage. Snapping his fingers seemed to have worked after several moments of trying, even though Shay never looked away from his hand, the deep, shuddering breath he took at least let him know he was still coherent.

"S-she's alive?? How?! I saw..." He whispered, laced with uncertainty, but also hopeful that he was telling the truth.

"A poison, to make it look like she was dead. Look, we do not have time for me to explain, someone will notice that the camera is not working soon. What is your answer?"

Shay continued to stare at Connor as he stood up and swayed the pendant in front of him, lowering his head as a lump formed in his throat and nodding once.

"That is probably the smartest decision you have made in your life."

Circling around to the back of Shay, Connor flicked out his hidden blade and cut through the zip tie binding him, before pulling out the small envelope you had asked him to deliver along with a pen out of his pocket, quickly jotting down the code to the door on it. Shay cautiously got up to standing and gently rubbed his wrists where the bindings had dug in, wary of Connors intentions as he held out his hand and he dropped your necklace into it.

"Why are ya helpin' me? What's in it for you?"

"You actually thought I would do this for you?!" Connor growled, grabbing his shirt and stuffing the paper in his front pocket. "I am doing this for (name). Family means everything to me, and even though you have corrupted her, she is the closest thing I have left. Now, I am leaving. Sit back down while I go."

"Wait, yer gonna cut me loose and that's it? How the fuck am I supposed to get outta here?!"

Connor reached up and grabbed the wire that he had pulled out of the camera and, hovered it over the slot to plug it back in, narrowing his eyes in warning for Shay to do what he was told.

"The great and mighty Assassin hunter cannot come up with a plan? The rumours of you have been greatly exaggerated. I have given you everything I can, and am willing to give, the rest is up to you. Now, sit!"

Shay irritably slumped back down on the chair after grabbing the tie off the floor and, held his hands behind his back just as Connor plugged the wire back in, not a moment too soon when an electrical beeping echoed around the room, and the door swung open to reveal a concerned Ezio.

"I'm afraid your time is up, there has been a problem with the surveillance, and we need to perform maintenance on it. Did you get anything out of him?"

"No. The conversation was as expected, one-sided." Connor sneered, making a show of rubbing his knuckles.

Ezio sighed in annoyance and gestured for Connor to follow him out, switching the lights off again as the door slammed shut and, walked up the gangway towards the exit.

"That is a shame, I was hoping that it wouldn't come to drastic measures. But that will have to wait until the morning, I have a few things to do, and I still want to pay my respects to (name) tonight."

Connor froze for a moment as he remembered that he hadn't dug a 'grave' yet, his thoughts consumed with giving Shay a chance to get out before he spilt his guts about anything that have possibly incriminated him, or you. Not that he actually knew anything concrete before now, but even a theory would have been enough for them to work from.

"Of course. I should be going anyway. Today has been, exhausting, to say the least."

Almost pace walking out of the facility after Ezio had given him a saddened look and a pat on the back, Connor knew that his night was far from over as he jumped into his car, almost breaking every traffic law in the book as he headed back towards the forest.

 

Wiping the beads of sweat off his brow with the cuff of his shirt, Connor stabbed the shovel into the ground after patting down the upturned earth, satisfied that it looked how it was supposed to. Placing a bunch of wildflowers he had picked before digging on top and, securing them with a few stones so they didn't blow away, he slumped up against a nearby tree and balanced his arms on his knees, contemplating everything he had done today.

Helped his best friend fake her death; nearly losing her in the process, lied to pretty much everyone he knew, and assisted a Templar that the Assassins had been pursuing for years, in escaping. _But had he helped him breakout?_ Now that he thought about it, there was no way in or out of the room other than the main door that he could see, and even though he had given him the code for it, there were at least twenty assassins between him and the exit.

Groaning and banging the back of his head against the tree a couple of times as his conscience and sense of self-preservation took over, he dragged himself back up and took off his shirt; cleaning himself up the best he could with it before fishing a fresh one out of his 'go bag' that he always kept in his car, beginning to feel like a yo-yo as he headed _back_ to Ezios facility.

 

**Shays pov**

 

Shay sat there in the total darkness, trying to make sense of what he was feeling right now. He was filled with hope and relief that he had been told that you weren't dead, but also consumed by turmoil. Why hadn't you said anything to him?! All the pain and misery he went through, it didn't have to happen. Sure, he would have tried to talk you out of it, convince you that there was another way, but he would have given in to your stubbornness. Eventually. But with fingers crossed and a shit load of luck, he would find that out soon.

There was also the predicament he was in, foolishly jumping out like that in a blind fit of rage and allowing someone to sneak up on him. Gigantor was right, it was stupid. And this, room, not even his eagle vision picked up anything; all he knew was that there was a keypad by the door and a camera near the ceiling, and it was so silent that he could almost hear the blood rushing through his veins.

Sitting there staring into nothingness for what could have been minutes, or hours, he suddenly noticed that the tiny red dot that was on the camera wasn't on anymore. He'd heard that they were going to perform maintenance on it after Connor had unplugged it, so did that mean it had been switched off for now? Taking the chance, he fumbled in his pocket for whatever had been stashed in there and, used the dim light on his wristwatch to try and make out what had been scrawled on the envelope, confused for a second when he saw nothing but random numbers.

Okay, must be the code for the door. But how in the hell was he going to get past all of those assassins?! He had no weapons, and he wasn't in much of a condition to be fighting anyway. Sighing heavily as he opened the envelope and pulled out the slip of paper that was inside, a beaming grin spread across his face when he eventually managed to read the two sentences written on it, kissing your necklace that he still had clutched in his hand.

"That's my girl." He whispered, but the starkness of the room made it sound like he had shouted it.

Now with a resounding determination swarming through him; as he had gotten confirmation that you were definitely alive and didn't just have an assassins word to go on, he carefully put everything back in the envelope, including your pendant, tucking it into his jeans pocket before trying to come up with a plan. He had barely gotten to, 'open the door and run like fuck' when the familiar beeping came from the wall again, swiftly resuming his position as if he were still tied up and, grimacing when the lights almost blinded what was left of his sight.

"Be sure that you are quick, this is much of an inconvenience. He should not give you any trouble, but I assume you are equipped just in case?" Ezio said to the engineer who came in with him, sounding exasperated.

"Course sir, this ain't my first rodeo. I'll be in and out in a flash." The other man sneered, flicking his hidden blade out and in.

Shay dared to take a furtive glance up when the door closed again, but he was caught straight away as the repairman wasn't doing his work, but was stood there staring at him and sniggering.

"Well, aren't you a lovely sight. Not so tough now are you? All them lot in there say you're dangerous, don't look that scary to me."

The engineer took a step closer and leaned forwards; poking Shay in the arm mockingly as he continued to jeer at him, only stopping when he saw the corner of his mouth curl up, becoming slightly nervous and slowly backing away. Not being able to hold back a menacing chuckle, Shay sat up straighter on the chair and nodded to the floor beside him, briefly following the mans gaze before watching the colour drain from his face when he saw the cut zip cuff on the floor.

"Oh...shit..."

Shay lunged up with a snarl and what little stamina he could muster; catching the assassin off guard and knocking him against the wall, straddling over him when he dropped to his hands and knees in a daze, grabbing hold of his chin and the back of his head tightly.

"You shoulda heeded ya mates warnings. Thanks for helpin' me get outta here."

When the last word fell from Shays' lips, he twisted the workman's head fiercely, making a cricking sound ring through the air, dropping the corpse down harshly with a thud. He had to be quick now; it would only be maybe five minutes, ten if he were lucky before someone came back, stripping the body of clothing as fast as his hands would move.

Stretching out as even though the man had been roughly the same build the uniform was a bit of a tight fit, Shay snatched up the baseball cap off the floor and pulled it low so it hid some of his face, before rummaging through the toolbox to see if there was _anything_ that could help him fight his way out of here. As expected, there was nothing but a few tools and bits that were of no use, so all he had to defend himself with, was the hidden blade. _Grand, just fucking grand._ He grumbled almost inaudibly, pulling out the envelope briefly so he could open the door.

Shay was just about to punch in the last number when something rolled over from the upturned toolbox and knocked into his foot, pausing for a moment to bend down and pick up whatever it was. He shook the can after reading the label to find that it was nearly full, before spinning it around in his fingers so he could look at the back and see the warnings for it.

**Contact Cleaner - HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. KEEP AWAY FROM SOURCES OF HEAT.**

He couldn't. Could he? That Connor would be none to happy with this, but at the moment he couldn't give a flying fuck with not much else to go on, and _especially_ with you out there waiting for him. Dragging the assassin to leaning against the wall just under the keypad, he scooped everything else back up into the box apart from a screwdriver and draped his clothing over the man, before carefully undoing the panel, revealing the components inside. He'd seen Gist do enough of this crap to know which wires to cross to get it to short circuit, and if all went to plan, this would kill two birds with one stone.

Reinputting the code so the door opened, he held it to almost closed; peering through the crack, feeling more confident when he could only see less than a handful of assassins in the central area, and there was no sign of the master. Ripping the keypad off, so now the wires were exposed, he pulled out the two he needed and touched them together briefly, smirking when they emitted a small spark. 

"Now or never..."

Using a piece of tape, he stuck the wires to the can and dropped it on the chest of the body, then grabbed the toolbox and slipped out of the room, keeping his head low as he calmly followed the wall. As this part of the room was dimly lit compared to the rest and the operatives were engrossed doing whatever at their desks, he easily managed to get halfway down without being noticed, hiding between two filing cabinets when the expected (although sooner than he thought) explosion came from behind him. This was his chance. He scrunched up his nose when the acrid stench of charred flesh already polluted the air, slipping out and joining the small group of now hysterical assassins that were flocking to the door; which automatically opened when the fire alarm belted out, so far, remaining undetected.

Shay somewhat recognised where he was when he eventually made it out, recognising it as a densely populated Brotherhood area, but that now caused him even bigger problems. At least a dozen more people had ventured to the streets to see what the commotion was, and even those who didn't know who he was or why he was here would be able to figure it out in a matter of seconds if they saw his face.

Using his eagle vision, he managed to find a small gap in the ever-growing horde and slip down a side street two shops away while everyone was focused on the flames that had grown significantly at the back of the building, but that was where his fortune ended. Sirens blared through the night sky; getting louder with each passing second, and from what he had learnt from being in Boston for some time now, is that the assassins had many ties and agents in the emergency services.

He almost threw up in his mouth when he opened the nearly full dumpster beside him, as it was the only place close by he could hide, holding his breath as he jumped in and slammed the lid shut, now in no better situation than before.


	42. Chapter 42

Connor slowed to almost a standstill when he got a block away from the facility, his heart racing in horror as he spied thick black smoke hovering above him, with red and blue lights reflecting off of the nearby buildings.

"What have I done..."

He jumped out as fast as he could when he spotted Ezio amongst the crowd of people, his feet already sodden from the puddles that had been created from the fire brigade extinguishing the flames by the time he had reached him.

"What, happened?" Connor mumbled fearfully, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"We are not entirely certain; I am waiting for the chief to come out and give us the all clear so we can go and investigate. One thing we do know is, it started at the very back of the facility..."

A chill ran down Connors' spine as that pretty much confirmed what he was already thinking, and judging by the look on Ezios face, he was also contemplating if it was the Templar that was responsible for all of this. Thankfully they didn't have to wait long for the fire chief to come out, with Connor giving him a hefty pat on the back as he took his breathing gear and helmet off.

"Mister Miles, I am happy to see you, although I wish it were under better circumstances. How bad was it?"

"It could have been worse," the older man sighed, rubbing his greying beard wearily. "We managed to get it out before it spread too far, about half of the base is destroyed. Come on, I'll take you in. Just the two of you though, we haven't fully assessed the structural damage yet."

Connor and Ezio followed William to the non-civilian entrance down the side of the building, both immediately scowling when they stepped inside. The stench was almost unbearable, a sweet, yet putrid smell mingled in with singed hair and burnt electrical wiring, making them cover their faces with their hands in an attempt to block it out. They carefully stepped around the scorched debris and broken glass, ignoring the drips raining down from the ceiling until they made it to the part where the fire had started. William shone his flashlight that he had pulled out of his coat into the interrogation room, settling it on the charred remains just beside the door.

"This was the only casualty, as far as we can tell they caused an electrical fire by ripping off the access panel in trying to escape. Who was it?"

Connor gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as Ezio proceeded to give William a 'need to know version' of who had perished in the fire, as it was blatantly obvious to him that this wasn't the man he had left here earlier. He had given him the key for the door for starters, so there was no need for him to tamper with the panel, and he had seen the determination in his eyes when he had told him that you were alive, so he would never have done something this reckless. Caught up in wondering who this person actually was, he didn't notice that Ezio was talking to him until he was tapped on the shoulder firmly.

"Are you alright? You seem confused."

"No, sir. But I do need to get out of here, the smell is worse than Jacobs socks."

Surprisingly, both men chuckled before Ezio gave Connor a nod in saying he could leave, almost on the verge of running back the way he came in and to where he parked his car. Slowing down when he got about ten yards away, he spun around on the spot and took in how many people were in the crowd, trying to figure out how Shay got away. His gut told him that he couldn't have gotten very far considering the place was swarming, so on the off chance, he subtly used his vision to scour around for any sign of him.

After staying as long as he dared to; as a couple of people were looking over in his direction and wondering what he was doing, he was just about to give up and resign to the fact that he had managed to make a clean getaway when a tiny glimmer of red appeared to his right. Climbing into his car slowly, he reversed off of the main road and down an alleyway next to the Italian restaurant, winding his window down when he got to the dumpster and leaning out to tap on the lid.

"I know you are in there Templar. Out."

Connor scrunched his face up when Shay lifted the top slightly and poked his head out, completely covered in garbage and a green slop that he didn't even want to hazard a guess at what it was.

"Why you here!? Thought ya was gonna leave me to it?"

"Shut up and get in before I change my mind. And cover yourself with that blanket, I do not want that, filth everywhere."

Shay scrambled out quickly and pretty much dove into the back of the car, barely managing to close the door and wrap the cover around himself before Connor sped out of the alley, and headed away from the multitude of assassins. After what he deemed a safe distance away, Connor pulled over and leaned forward, resting his head on the steering wheel to calm himself down, so he didn't launch himself over the seat and show Shay _exactly_ what he thought of him right now.

"Who was it?" Connor grumbled, sitting back up so he could hear the muffled voice better.

"Who was... Oh. I dunno, some electrician that came to check the camera. Why, did ya know him?"

Connor glanced over his shoulder and shook his head softly as Shay sat up in the footwell and took off the baseball cap, wincing when the cut above his eyebrow pulled open, and a drop of blood dripped onto the back seat.

"No I did not, but that is not the point! You were supposed to escape, not commit murder, burn the place down..."

"Woah Woah Woah! Ya can stop right there Hulk. Just what did you expect me to do?! Sat there, in a box, surrounded by god knows how many people who wanted to gut me, an I had to pull a plan outta my arse. If ya wanted me out without anyone gettin' hurt so badly, then ya should've given me more than just a damned number!"

Gritting his teeth to the verge of where his jaw began to hurt, Connor kept reeling over and over in his head the reasons why he was doing this, and eventually gave in to Shays explanation. It was true he supposed; which is why he came back, and he was amazed that he managed to make it out _at all_ by himself, but that didn't mean he had to be happy with his methods. Shay, who was now getting more than pissed at being spoken down to like this, threw the blanket off and reached for the handle to get out, but was promptly stopped by Connor pressing a button on his dash, locking all of the doors.

"Now what?!" Shay growled, banging on the seat as Connor stared into the distance. "Look, I dunno what kinda promise ya made to (name), but if you wanna just fuck off now, I'll tell her you kept it alright? How she still trusts you after what you did, I'll never know."

"That is the only reason I am doing this you neanderthal! Every night that moment has plagued my dreams..."

Shay took a deep, heavy sigh as Connor turned to him and lashed out, the remorse he was feeling evident on his face before he quickly turned back away and started the engine again. He hadn't even considered he was feeling guilty about the whole thing, it was, after all, his doing that they were pursuing you in the first place.

"So, them lot think it was me in that room then?"

"Yes, you decrepit heathen. They think that charcoaled skeleton is you. Now keep your head down before all of this becomes a waste of time." Connor growled, glaring at Shay through the rearview mirror.

"Ya gonna hurt my feelings with all this name callin' ya know. Well, at least one thing went right, didn't think I'd ever have to do that again."

"Burning bodies?"

Scowling as he saw Connor sneer through the mirror, Shay took off the hidden blade he had on and dropped it on the back seat; with it being far too tight and fancy for his liking, before staring out the window and for once, not recognising where he was.

"Ya knew what I meant, faking my death. Just where are ya takin' me by the way?!"

"I am not sure, this was not exactly on my to-do list today. But we need to figure out something soon, there is too much commotion about after the chaos you caused, and I **am not** taking the risk in getting caught transporting you about. Any suggestions?"

Shay scoffed and went to fumble in his pocket for his phone, until he remembered that it had been confiscated after he had been dragged away, **and** he wasn't even wearing his own clothes at this moment in time.

"Gimmie your phone."

"What? Absolutely not, I think Ezio hit you in your head one too many times. I am sure you are aware that all of our cellular activity is recorded?!"

Diving forward between the seats, Shay snatched up Connors phone from its cradle on the dash before he had a chance to stop him; grabbing his flailing arm so he could use his fingerprint to unlock it, staring at the screen when he got it open and the background picture was of you and Connor, pulling faces as he was giving you a piggyback.

"Aye, I'm well aware of that, how'd ya think you never caught (name)? Nice picture by the way."

Connor was positively seething as Shay dialled a number and handed his cell back to him, pulling over again wholly baffled when he saw the call ID pop up when it began ringing.

"Order me a pizza. Anchovies, olives and mushroom, an tell him no fucking pineapple this time."

"Do you really think this is... Yes, hello. I would like to order a pizza?" Connor grumbled when a jovial man's voice blared over the line. "Anchovies, mushroom and olives, no pineapple. He says are you _sure_ you don't want pineapple."

Shay groaned and slapped his head at the same time as he shook it, wondering if he could lynch his best friend and get away with running the Morrigan by himself.

"Definitely not. Where to deliver? JFK library, I am hoping you know what one of those is?" Connor jeered before hanging up, now understanding that it was a cypher for someone to come to their aid. "Fifteen minutes. So what were the code words?"

"Fifteen? Sure ya can put up with me for that long? Suppose there's no harm in tellin' you, we change em all the time. Anchovy is come by sea. Pineapple is running in like a psychopath guns blazin', mushroom, well that's meaning fungus, lets them know assa... actually ya probably don't wanna know."

Both of them slumped back as there was nothing to do now but wait, and neither saw the point in attempting small talk, so uncomfortable silence it was. That was finally broken after nearly half a goddamned hour; as Gist was never the punctual type, by Connor pressing the button to unlock the doors, making Shays' head snap up after he had nearly nodded off.

"Your ride is here."

Shay jumped up and scurried out when he saw a speedboat manned by Gist through the fence, and his beloved Morrigan moored off in the distance, pausing for a moment about three foot away and turning around on the spot.

"I never thanked ya for getting me out."

"No, you didn't," Connor muttered, shrugging his shoulders and making a shooing motion with his hand when he knew that was the best he was going to get. "Shay. Take care of her."

"I promise."

With a simple nod, Shay ran towards the fence and lept up on it, scaling it quickly and jumping on the boat that would take him far away from here, and back to you.

 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

**Three Weeks Later**

 

Dragging yourself across the foyer, you dropped your rucksack on the desk and almost collapsed in your chair, massaging your temples firmly. This was your second week here, and you were already exhausted. Not that you needed to work, but at least it kept you distracted from wondering what was going on back home. You thought that you might have heard _something_ from Shay or Christopher by now, or even Haytham, but nothing apart from radio silence. You were dragged away from your mulling by your, 'boss', clearing her throat loudly as she approached and tossed a file on top of your already mound of jobs.

"Aww c'mon Brige, I've only just got back!"

Brigitte scrunched her nose up in annoyance at your nickname for her, but you made a point of doing it all the more because you knew it pissed her off. She was pushing sixty, perfectly coiffed greying hair with thick horn-rimmed glasses to boot, and had _definitely_ been born with a silver spoon up her backside.

"You are late returning from your last job. Therefore your next one is in a quarter of an hour. If you're not happy, you know where the door is."

"Duh, haven't you ever heard of traffic?! Or is gridlock not a thing over here?" You pouted, resting your chin on your hand as you flicked through your newest assignment.

Leaning back in your chair and quickly scanning through, you saw that this job was almost the same as the last. Personally transporting some of Mr Wynerts, 'not so legal' artefacts to buyers out of his newest antiquities house, perfect for your skillset as you had already foiled three attempted heists, and had a lot of fun doing it. About halfway through reading, your ears pricked up when you caught something faint, but very familiar, biting the insides of your cheeks to stop a massive grin from spreading across your face.

Glancing up to where Brigitte was sat at her own desk and had just knocked over her pen pot when the jingle of the door rang out; jaw dropped as she stared over at the reception desk behind you, you chuckled as she fumbled about in trying to pick everything up, deciding to get one last dig on the evil witch.

"What's the matter Brige? You seem distracted?"

"Pardon my french dear, but that is the finest piece of ass I've seen around here in a long time. I _must_ introduce myself."

Raising your eyebrows as she got up and sauntered down to the front, you let her get as far as, 'Welcome to Wynerts Auction House, Dublin branch', before getting up and revealing yourself, grinning wildly as Shay pushed Brigitte out of the way when he saw you. Immediately breaking into a sprint, you lept up into his outstretched arms and wrapped your limbs around him tightly, kissing all over his face before capturing his lips devotedly.

"Took your time," You breathed, giggling when you saw Brigitte stood there speechless and gawking out of the corner of your eye. "Is that a new scar?"

Gently rubbing your thumb over his left eyebrow as he adjusted his grip around you, your brow knitted slightly when you now noticed that he looked tired, even though he was trying his best not to show it.

"Long story love, I'll tell ya later. Meet me at the place I'd never been ay? Figured you'd rub it in a bit more?"

You pursed your lips together and snorted back a laugh as he playfully glared at you, reaching up to tug your arm from his shoulder and dropping your necklace in your palm, squeezing your fingers snugly around it.

"Let's go. Gist has been driving me up the wall makin' plans of where we're gonna go first."

Just as you were about to ask how come Christopher was in charge of your voyage, you both let out a heavy groan when Shays phone started ringing, tugging it out of his pocket and scowling when you saw that it was Haytham. Shay did no more and, dropped it into the wastepaper basket next to him with a smirk, carrying you off out the door and to your new life together.


	43. Addendum

Connor dropped his keys down on his counter, after finishing a long morning of helping with renovations to the back of the suit shop. Everything seemed to have calmed down and blown over, for the most part, something he was extremely grateful for as he'd had more than enough with the constant barrage of questions from his colleagues.

He was just about to sit down and take a load off when there was a sharp knock at his door, wearily opening it after peeking through the spy hole and seeing that it was a FedEx delivery man; confused as he wasn't expecting anything, work-related or otherwise. Signing for it anyway, he flipped the small, padded packet over in trying to figure out who it came from while he slowly closed the door, stopped by someone calling his name.

"Ezio? What are you doing here? Is something wrong with the facility works?"

"Not at all, everything is going bellissimo, thanks to you. I was hoping we might have a quick talk?"

Connor nodded and let Ezio inside, dropping the packet on the table as he gestured for him to take a seat, which he politely declined with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"I was wondering if you would consider a transfer, to my department. As you know, I have an opening and wanted to offer it to you first."

"In counterintelligence?" Connor blurted before he could stop himself. "I-I am not sure. It is not something I had ever considered."

Keeping his gaze fixated on Ezio as he wandered around the room and, absentmindedly scanned the native ornaments strewn about, Connor raised his eyebrows when Ezio stood before him with his arms folded, a calculating look on his face as if he were deliberating his next words.

"Having spent a few weeks in your company, I have noticed certain, traits in you and believe that you would make an eccellente addition to our team. You don't have to give me an answer now, take some time to consider it."

Connor lowered his head and tensed up while he contemplated just what _traits_ the master had seen in him, walking over to open the door as Ezio made a move to leave.

"Oh, and one other thing, the autopsy results finally came back. Although we were unable to identify him through DNA as he was so badly burned, we were able to determine the body had a broken neck. Strange, wouldn't you say? At least he will not bother us any longer."

Swallowing hard as Ezio merely raised his eyebrow briefly then left, Connor let out the breath he didn't realise he had been holding and dropped down on his sofa, clasping his hands as he stared at the wall. _He could not know... Could he?!_ No one else had any idea that something other than what had been told had occurred, he had been so careful to keep it that way.

He was soon dragged from his internal debating by remembering the delivery he had taken just before the mentor had turned up, leaning over to grab it and rip the tab off on the side. More than confused when he peered inside and it was empty, he scanned it again for a senders name or return address, but there was none. Just about to give up and resign to the fact someone must have been pulling a prank, he suddenly recalled something that you had shown him years ago when you had first joined the assassins.

Flicking out his hidden blade and carefully slicing down the edges of the packet, he spread it open out on the coffee table and smirked when he found what he was looking for. A small dot, half a centimetre square and, no thicker than a piece of paper nestled snugly in the corner. Leaping up and rummaging through a box that contained what was left of your belongings from your apartment, he pulled out a jewellers microscope and a pair of tweezers, gingerly picking up the tiny fragment and held it up to the light.

A broad smile crept up his face and his heart lept after he had adjusted the focus slightly to reveal a picture of you surrounded by snow; wearing a ski coat and goggles, holding an Arctic hare with your tongue sticking out and Shay resting his chin on your shoulder from behind you.

Grabbing a very precious, hand-carved trinket box from the counter next to him, he gently placed the microdot inside and hid it behind a book on the shelf, before storming over to his home phone, jabbing the speed dial button marked 'Ezio Auditore'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it folks! I'll probably get lynched for finishing it, but all good things must come to an end XD Thank you all for your beautiful comments and patience, it was truely what kept me going through this epic sized novel! ❤❤


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